Spring
by bionic4ever
Summary: WIN2 (Sequel to 'Winter') - After Michael's death (and with Steve happily married to Jenn), will Jaime ever find love again?
1. Prologue

**Spring**

Prologue

Even in the Suit-and-Tie, Too-Busy-To-Notice world that was Washington, DC, Spring had finally arrived. Steve had finally been granted a rare mission-free week but he was far from relaxed. Jenn moved softly up behind him, nuzzling his neck as her arms encircled his waist.

"You're...mad at me?" she queried (nibbling on his ear for good measure).

Steve shook his head slowly, his back still to his wife. "No, not really, but I can't believe you'd suggest – or even _consider_..."

Jenn was not so easily deterred. She ducked around in front of Steve...and smiled. "It's really not that far-fetched. Not when you put the pieces together. Now that your Mom and Dad are on another cruise, Jaime's all alone out there."

"Well, I don't like it," Steve insisted. "It's been less than two months since Michael died. We have no business trying to fix her up with anyone, much less -"

"I'm not talking about a love match here," Jenn said gently. "Just two people who both need...a good friend."

"No."

"It'd do both of them some good to spend time together...outside of work. And in the future...who knows? Maybe they _could_ be a good match."

"Forget it, Jenn."

"He's always had a thing for her," Jenn persisted. "Anybody can see that. So you know he'll tread lightly – they'd be good for each other." She watched, exasperated, as Steve paced over to the window, once again turning his back. "Are you acting this way because we're talking about Jaime?" she asked quietly. "Or because we're talking about _Oscar_?"

- - - - -


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

_"...Are you acting this way because we've talking about Jaime - or because we're talking about __**Oscar**__...?"_

Steve had no answer for that and avoided the subject entirely by coming up with a rather poor distraction. "I have to mow the lawn," he said in a gruff voice.

Wisely, Jenn decided not to mention the fact that he'd just mowed it two days earlier. Steve had never been one to discuss his feelings (at least not until he was darn good and ready) and Jenn decided not to force the issue. Instead, she picked up the phone...

* * *

Less than an hour later, Rudy poked his head into Oscar's office. "Got a minute?"

Oscar nodded the doctor to a chair, quickly finished four simultaneous phone calls...and smiled. "What can I do for you?" he asked jovially.

"What does your schedule for the next few days look like?" Rudy asked.

"Just the usual – a meeting with the Secretary then a conference with the Vice President and the new chief of the FBI – nothing serious. Why?"

"I thought you might like to take a little trip with me...to Ojai."

"Ojai...Jaime? Did something happen – is she sick?"

Rudy shook his head. "Nothing like that. Just thought it was time I checked up on her, that's all."

"As much as I'd like to see Jaime, I don't think you really need me along for that..." Oscar said softly.

"It's a long flight; we could play a few hands of gin rummy or -"

"I'd only be in the way once we got there," Oscar concluded.

"Actually, I think Jaime could use all the friendly faces she can get right now -"

"I wish I could, Rudy, but these meetings..." Oscar shook his head and Rudy couldn't help noticing the sadness in his eyes.

"It'd do you good to get away."

"Probably would. I just can't right now. But give Jaime my love – and I'd like a full report when you get back."

Rudy sighed. It was useless to argue. Without even trying very hard, his friend could be a regular brick wall.

* * *

Steve didn't want to argue, either. After changing into a pair of pajama bottoms, he yawned quite unconvincingly, stretched out and turned off the light on his side of the bed. He pretended not to notice Jenn still sitting bolt upright next to him, staring in his direction.

"You gonna give me a fake snore next?" she asked. Steve reluctantly rolled over to face his wife. "Are we fighting?" she continued. "Because I don't think you've ever gone to bed without at least kissing me goodnight."

"I'm sorry, Darlin'," Steve told her. "I just don't feel much like talking tonight." He leaned up to give Jenn a very perfunctory kiss on her cheek.

"They don't have to ride off into the sunset together," she persisted. "Just two good friends who could help each other be...well...a little less lonely."

"Jenn -"

"Why are you being so difficult? Which part of the equation doesn't add up for you?"

"I don't like it – that's all," Steve told her, rolling flat onto his back and crossing his arms obstinately. "He's almost old enough to be her father. He's her _boss_, Jenn!"

"No one said they have to sleep together!"

"And they'd better not!"

Jenn took a deep, calming breath. The discussion (or, rather, her husband's attitude) was beginning to get to her. She knew Steve didn't harbor secret longings for Jaime anymore – they'd long since discussed that to death – so...what was the _real _problem?

* * *

Jaime sat on the old log by the lake, staring absently as the sun cast brilliant shades of pink and orange across the water. This was usually her favorite time of the day – and her favorite place – but today it brought her no joy. Jim and Helen had been gone for nearly a week and Jaime longed to hear (and interact with) another human voice. It was so hard to be all alone. _Too late in DC to bother Steve and Jenn..._ she told herself. _Besides, there isn't anything wrong...not really..._

* * *

Oscar poured himself a nightcap...and sighed. He couldn't help wondering what was _really _behind Rudy's proposed impromptu trip to Ojai. Was Jaime in some sort of trouble? If something happened to her, Oscar knew he'd never forgive himself for not going along. He had no choice but to meet with Frank Trudeau's replacement the next day, to assist in the FBI's transition to a new Chief, but after that...maybe he'd have to find his own way out to Ojai...just to be sure.

Satisfied with his decision, Oscar laid down in his bed, pulled up the quilt and put out the light. As he drifted easily into sleep, he saw Jaime's face in the back of his mind and...Oscar Goldman _smiled._


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The original purpose of his impromptu trip to Ojai thwarted, Rudy decided it would still be a good idea to check on Jaime. While he thoroughly understood her need to move away from DC and the awful memories it now held for her, Rudy was concerned that Jaime might hesitate to reach out to her friends for the support she'd need to get through the next few months.

From the hug he received when she opened her door and saw him, Rudy knew he'd been right. "How are you, Honey?" he asked gently as she began puttering around, getting coffee and a plate of muffins before rejoining him in the living room.

"I'm...okay..." she said, not very convincingly. "Did I...um...miss a physical or something?"

Rudy smiled warmly. "Can't an old grumpy doctor visit his surrogate daughter just to say hello?"

"You're not checking up on me, then?"

"Well, that too," Rudy admitted. It was next to impossible to lie to Jaime. "I'm worried about you being all alone out here. I hope you still feel you can pick up the phone – any time. Or..." Rudy paused, acting like this idea had just come to him out of the blue at that very second, "you could come back to DC and stay in one of the OSI apartments."

"Very subtle, Rudy," Jaime laughed. "And it's...tempting. But I just got settled out here and -"

"And you can come back anytime you want to," Rudy pointed out. "You're not boarding the place up for good." Jaime still looked doubtful. "Tell you what," he proposed, "let me take you to lunch and at least give me a fair shot at persuading you..."

It didn't even take the entire lunch. Jaime stammered something about not having the necessary plane ticket to fly back with him – and Rudy pulled one from his inner coat pocket and handed it to her. She protested that there was no way the OSI would just give her an apartment on such short notice – and (grinning broadly) Rudy produced a key. He couldn't help but notice that the clincher seemed to be when he told Jaime that Oscar would love to see her. (Maybe Jenn had been right, after all.) Once they had chatted their way through appetizers, entrees and desserts, they went back to the carriage house to pack a few changes of clothing and some of Jaime's favorite things and then headed for the airport.

* * *

Oscar's meetings had not been fun - in fact, 'fun' and 'Washington DC' were pretty much mutually exclusive for him – but at least they were _over_. He leaned back in the plane seat, smiling a most un-Oscar-like smile as he thought of finally seeing Jaime again. It really hadn't been that long, but he missed her as though she'd been gone for years. Seeing her face in the back of his mind was the only thing that helped him let go of the day's events and finally _relax _as the OSI's private jet sped toward Los Angeles.

Should he knock on her door under the guise of checking on her suitability for possible assignments...or should he tell her the truth? Her face, her voice – her entire being – were the last things he thought of at night and the first thought he woke with in the morning. Not to mention...the _dreams_. Still, Jaime had been through so much; the last thing she needed was to deal with her boss's innermost thoughts and fantasies. Oscar didn't know if he'd ever find the courage to come out and tell her – but he knew for certain that _now_ was **not **the right time.

* * *

As the two planes crossed the country (in opposite directions), Steve crossed the living room floor – _again._"Tell me you didn't..." he grumbled.

Jenn tried to circle her arms around his waist, but Steve continued to pace, somewhere between disbelief and anger. "Steve..."

"He's just too old -"

Jenn sighed patiently. "Oscar isn't exactly ancient."

"Then she's too young."

"Jaime's a grown woman – perfectly capable of deciding what she wants – or doesn't want – all by herself."

"_Exactly._"

With a loving smile, the irresistible force met the immovable object...and kissed him.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Jaime reached Oscar's office at almost the same time that he knocked on the carriage house door. Then he climbed back onto the plane and she began unpacking boxes in her new (temporary) apartment. Rudy, who'd accompanied Jaime back to the office, finally managed to track down Oscar's whereabouts and (once Jaime was out of hearing range) phoned Jenn with an update.

"I think you were right," Rudy confirmed. "She was really looking forward to seeing him. And Oscar! I never expected him to just fly across the country on a whim."

"Maybe I can set something up for tomorrow," Jenn suggested. "That'd give Jaime time to settle in and Oscar can get back to status quo."

"Jenn," Rudy laughed, "I like how you think."

Thwarted once again (but nowhere near giving up) Jenn began to plan...

In spite of her good intentions, though, her husband continued to brood. The next evening, as they were dressing to go out, Jenn couldn't take another minute of the stiflingly thick silence.

"Alright, just spill it," she sighed, plunking down onto the bed.

"What?" Steve snapped, a little too quickly.

"You've been a _bear_ ever since I suggested that Oscar and Jaime might enjoy spending some time together. So – what is it? Get it out of your system and then – for everyone's sake – _let it go!_"

Steve finished tying his tie, straightened it and then undid and re-tied it before finally turning around. "I _told _you – I just don't like it!"

"You still haven't told me why!" Jenn had been very patient, but Steve's obstinate stance was wearing her down. "And don't give me that _He's too old, she's too young _crap again, either. 'Cause I'm not buying it! I know we've talked this to death, but I need to ask you one more time and then I will never ask you again. Are you still in love with Jaime?"

Steve softened and drew his wife into his arms. "I do care about her, but I _love_ **you**."

"What is it, then? Please, Steve..."

"I just...well...I don't want either of them to get hurt."

Jenn frowned. "Hurt...how?"

"Oscar's position makes anyone who gets close to him extremely vulnerable," Steve said softly.

"Okay. I'll give you that one. But Jaime is vulnerable too, by virtue of her work and simply because she's bionic. Maybe they can take better care of each other together than either one could do separately."

"Maybe," Steve allowed. "But..."

"But...?" Jenn prodded. Now that she had him talking, she wasn't about to let him stop there.

"Jaime's a beautiful woman, with more than her share of men who notice that. I don't like to think this, but...Oscar could get his heart broken."

"They're two grown adults – who both need a friend. Now, whether they choose to make a relationship out of that – or whether they don't – they'll have their eyes wide open. Oscar's heart has been so well-guarded for such a long time that I don't know if he'd even be _able _to open it now...to anyone! But that's a choice he'll have to make, all on his own."

"I guess you're right," Steve told her. "Now how 'bout we meet our friends for dinner, huh?"

* * *

Jenn had done her homework well. The restaurant was softly-lit, quiet and with an attentive staff who met the diners' every need and then promptly disappeared. Jaime looked radiant, in a turquoise dress that seemed to flutter and float like waves at the seashore. Her hair was curled and pulled back with a clip in a gemtone that perfectly matched her dress. Her eyes were sparkling...especially when she saw Oscar.

He had dressed for the occasion in a light pearl-gray suit that was obviously tailor-made and a definite departure from the regulation penguin suit. He shook Steve's hand, nodded pleasantly to Jenn, then took Jaime's hand in his own...beaming at her. "It's great to see you, Babe," he said, still smiling as he took his seat at the table.

While Jenn had presented the idea of this evening as four friends sharing a meal together, it felt very much like a double date. There was a new spark between Oscar and Jaime that even Steve couldn't deny. Nothing romantic, of course – it was far too soon – but it was clear that the chemistry was there. While all four friends shared in the conversation, Oscar poured Jaime's wine for her. Jenn noticed that they couldn't seem to stop gazing at each other with the wonder of what might suddenly be in their futures.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The evening had been a complete success...but Jenn was not quite finished yet. When the dessert cart arrived, she and Steve waited and (as hoped) Jaime and Oscar each made a selection. Trying not to grin too broadly, Jenn turned down dessert, announcing that she and Steve would have to be going. Their friends didn't seem to mind. Steve quietly paid the bill on the way out.

Once they were alone, Oscar smiled warmly at Jaime. "They're about as subtle as a pile driver," he joked, trying to break the sudden tension. "So...how have you been – _honestly? _I've been worried about you."

Jaime's eye's widened slightly and when she raised her gaze to meet Oscar's, her whole body relaxed at the kindness and warmth she found there. "I guess I've been...lonely," she admitted.

"I flew out to see you yesterday, after my meetings."

"Really? And I was gone – Oh, Oscar, I'm so sorry!"

Oscar chuckled. "It wasn't anybody's fault, Babe. Just a few crossed wires, that's all."

"More than a few. I went to your office yesterday," Jaime told him. "But..." her eyes grew deadly serious, "it might be bad luck to say 'crossed wires' to me."

Oscar looked stricken, but only for a moment before Jaime's eyes began to sparkle and he realized she was joking. Almost in unison, they began to laugh.

"I'd better be careful," she went on, "or you might think I have a screw loose."

"That's the nuts and bolts of it, Babe." Oscar laughed harder than he'd allowed himself in years. With Jaime, laughter seemed to come easier.

This was a subject Jaime normally wouldn't consider funny, but tonight she couldn't resist. Together, they chuckled, giggled and guffawed until tears came to their eyes. The waiter brought their desserts, gave them a quick, curious look and scurried away, causing a fresh round of laughter.

"I guess that just didn't compute for him," Jaime added.

"Your sundae is melting," Oscar pointed out when he'd caught his breath. (Hot fudge had a tendency to do that.)

"I don't care – I _like _it this way." Jaime took a big spoonful and (since she was still laughing as she ate) wound up with whipped cream on her nose. She reached for her napkin, but Oscar shook his head.

"Let me," he insisted, gently brushing the topping from her face with his thumb.

The intimacy of the gesture both startled and touched her. "Thank you," she said, blushing softly.

"I don't think I've ever seen you blush before." (If possible, he thought, it made her even more beautiful – but Oscar didn't dare say that.)

"I guess my circuits are overloaded." They laughed again – and Oscar nearly choked on his eclair. "Sorry," Jaime snickered. "I'm done now. This unit ceases to function." After a couple more bites, she looked at Oscar questioningly. "So...why were you coming to see me? Am I finally going back to work?"

"Not yet, Jaime; it's just too soon."

"Too soon? I've been out of commission for _months_! I need...well, I need something to wrap my mind around other than my own troubles. Rudy says I'm in great shape."

_Oh, you most definitely are,_Oscar thought to himself. "I wouldn't turn down the offer of a little R and R," he said instead. "That's a pretty rare commodity, you know."

"But...I'm stagnating!" Jaime protested. "Oscar...I'm _bored _just doing nothing! It gives me too much time to think!"

Oscar grinned. (He couldn't seem to stop doing that.) "I think I can help you with that. Tell you what: meet me tomorrow for lunch – you can choose the restaurant – and we'll talk about it."

Jaime suddenly felt very shy. He wasn't _exactly _asking for a date...or was he? 'Dinner' was a date. Lunch was...well, lunch. Still, it might be fun. She'd seen a side of him tonight that she'd always wondered about – and Jaime wanted to know more. "I'd like that," she said with a smile of her own.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Jaime chose an upscale deli not far from the office, where she knew Oscar could get his favorite thick pastrami sandwich with spicy mustard. "How did you know...?" Oscar marveled.

"I pay attention," she told him with a shrug. Truth was, it was hard to miss. Whenever sandwiches were delivered to a conference or meeting that was running late, Oscar's came delivered in brown waxed paper with mustard oozing out the sides of the package. Somehow, he always managed to consume it eagerly without getting so much as a speck of mustard on his tie. While she couldn't quite stomach a sandwich like that herself, their roast turkey was pretty special, too.

As expected, everyone and their brother tried to get a few minutes of Oscar's time while they ate. Impressively, he sent every one of them away, his attention focused solely on Jaime. "What have you been doing with yourself back in Ojai?" he queried.

Jaime hesitated. Should she make up something interesting...or tell him the truth? "Not a whole lot of anything," she admitted. "That's why I wanted to come back here – and why I wanna work."

"Easy there, Slugger. When the time is right, we'll both know it." (So true, he thought – in more ways than just work.)

Jaime rolled her eyes and smiled. "I'm not gonna win this one, am I?"

"Nope."

"Okay." She took another bite of turkey. "So...how was your morning?"

"Oh come on, Babe; you don't really want to hear about all of that 'Cold Bureaucratic Nonsense'," Oscar chuckled.

"I'd like to hear about your day. And what about Trudeau? What happened? Rudy said he resigned..."

"You might call it that. He was censured – reprimanded – to the point where he felt like a lame duck in his Director's chair. And in essence, that's exactly what he was. He couldn't make a move without it being dissected in a dozen different directions, so -"

"They forced him out."

"Basically, yes," Oscar concluded. Personally, he'd have liked for Trudeau to do some hard time for all the trouble he'd caused with his negligence, but this would have to do.

"Well, good. And the rest of your morning?"

"Stuff and nonsense," Oscar told her lightly. "War, terrorism, death threats – nothing out of the ordinary."

Jaime was thoughtful for a moment. Oscar looked so handsome sitting across from her, but he was so different than he'd been at dinner the night before. She knew the difference immediately. It was the suit-and-tie, the facade he had to put on each morning, just to get through the day. With this realization, she brightened. "Ya know what? Tomorrow's Saturday, and I think you've earned some R & R."

"Excuse me?" Oscar pretended to be shocked, but inwardly, he couldn't have been more pleased. She was starting to open up, if only a little bit, and get back to her light-hearted normal self.

"I'd like to do something special...but no suits or ties are allowed. Jeans would be much better. Do you _own_ a pair of jeans?" she asked with a giggle. A small part of her (that she didn't dare listen to) wondered what he might look like in a nice, well-fitted pair of jeans. Besides, if someone didn't get the man to loosen up and _relax_, he'd drop from a coronary way before his time.

"Jeans? I don't know what you're talking about..."

"Oh, unstuff your shirt and find some!" she teased. "'Cause tomorrow, I wanna take _you_ on an adventure – and I'm not telling you where! Just wear your jeans _and no tie _and maybe scrounge up some sneakers from the back of your closet. I'll pick you up at eleven – and Oscar Goldman, you're going to have FUN if it kills us both!"


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Jaime barely slept, anticipating (and worrying about) what the next day would bring. Would she get to glimpse a side of Oscar that even he may have forgotten existed...or had she simply pushed him too far? _Did _Oscar own a pair of jeans? And did he now see her as some sort of crazy woman, asking him to be someone he so clearly was not? It would either be a glorious day of fun and relaxation...or one of the most awkward days of her life.

* * *

Oscar carefully cut the tags off of his brand-new pair of blue jeans and wondered idly if he should scuff them up, just a little. Wasn't that what one did with jeans? Or should he bleach them? Have someone sew some patches on? He did have to admit, they were certainly comfortable. Sort of like...being with Jaime.

He had dreamed of her again the night before, after their dinner together. Instead of wiping the whipped cream from her face with his thumb, he'd kissed it away. Jaime had responded eagerly and...

_Stop it_, he chided himself, pushing memories of the dream from his mind. Jaime had only been widowed for a couple of months. Figuratively, she was still getting her legs back underneath her. The last thing she needed was a new relationship and anyway, he wasn't thirty years old anymore. Even if she was looking for someone, Oscar couldn't entertain the thought that he'd even have a chance.

* * *

When she knocked on his door promptly at 11, Oscar was amazed. Even dressed casually, in jeans and a soft, white pullover, Jaime took his breath away. "Do I pass inspection, Ma'am?" he asked lightly, stepping back for her approval.

Jaime looked him over, savoring the moment for as long as she dared. The jeans were obviously new, but they fit him well. He hadn't (like most men) just grabbed the first pair within reach and run with them. He wore deck shoes from some long-forgotten fishing trip and while his shirt was a button-down, it had short sleeves and was open at the top, sans the usual tie. "You look wonderful," she affirmed, smiling. "Very relaxed."

"And you look...beautiful," he said softly. To cover up his sudden nerves, he kept talking. "So – where are we headed?"

"You'll see – c'mon!"

They chatted lightly as Jaime drove, avoiding only two subjects – Michael (for her) and work (for him). A few miles over the border into Maryland, Jaime pulled the car into a small, secluded area surrounded by trees on their side of the road and a vast, open field across the highway. "Wait here," she told Oscar as she got out and practically skipped back to the trunk. She removed a picnic basket and – at bionic speed – set up their lunch at a lone table located just inside the line of trees. Then she bounced back to the car to retrieve Oscar. "We're all set!" she exclaimed, taking him gently by the hand. "Let's go!"

Oscar's own step quickened, sparked by her enthusiasm. The table was rustic but charming. Jaime had laid out a blue and white checkered tablecloth and a feast for the eyes as well as the appetite. There was a basket of baguettes, sliced ham and salami and a plate of several sliced cheeses. Two blue plastic plates were waiting, with a bunch of grapes and a big homemade chocolate chip cookie on each one.

"Wow..." he managed, overwhelmed by the care she'd put into every single detail.

"When was the last time you went on a picnic?" she asked with a grin.

"You know, I really don't remember."

"Then it's high time!" she proclaimed, motioning him to sit down.

Oscar was so entranced with Jaime's new, bubbly attitude that he was halfway through the meal before he looked up, across the road, and saw _**IT**_. It was hard to miss, really, its wooden hills and slopes rising up against the flat landscape of the vast, open field that separated them from it. Jaime saw that he had noticed it, and she nodded with a mischievous smile.

"Oh, no..." he murmured. "I couldn't possibly..."

Across the road, on the very far side of the field (almost out of view) was...a _roller coaster_.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"Oscar, do you trust me?" Jaime asked with a soft smile.

"Of course, I do," Oscar answered quickly, trying to look at her instead of at the..._monstrosity_ across the field. "I've trusted you with my very life – more than once, in fact. But Babe, really, a _roller coaster_? I've never -"

"Never – as in _ever_?" Jaime pulled one last surprise out of the picnic basket. "Good thing I brought this," she told him, setting a small bottle of wine on the table. "How 'bout we finish lunch and then just go over and have a look? Maybe it won't seem so threatening close-up."

Oscar sighed and humored her – for now. _What _had he gotten himself into?

* * *

Steve hung up the phone and frowned. "That's strange."

Jenn wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling his neck. "What's strange?"

"Oscar's not in his office. Callahan says he took the day off!"

"And...?" Jenn laughed. "He's not allowed any time to himself – ever?"

"All Callahan would tell me is that he's 'out for the day'. What the hell does that mean?" Steve looked more closely at his wife. "You know something, don't you?"

"Can't fool an Intelligence man," Jenn affirmed.

"Ve haff vays of making you talk..." Steve said in a really horrible German accent.

"Well...he's with Jaime."

"Didn't they just have lunch yesterday?"

"Yup."

"So they're dating now?" Steve asked, pulling away from Jenn's arms.

"No, they're not _dating_! You know I love you, but this attitude of yours is getting pretty old, really fast."

"She's gonna break his heart..." Steve muttered, disappearing into the den. "Or someone's gonna really get hurt."

* * *

Jaime had primed Oscar for the rest of their adventure with a glass and a half of wine and charm as only she could pour it on. Reluctantly, he followed her from the car, through the gates of the amusement park...and straight up to Colossus. "I don't know, Jaime," he said, trying to stall for time.

"We could always start you on that one," Jaime giggled, pointing across the midway to the tiny Caterpillar coaster.

"That's for children."

"For beginners. You said you've never -"

"I will _not _get on a children's ride!"

"Great! Then you're ready for this one!" Jaime grinned and took him by the hand.

Oscar was so stunned by the sensation of her sudden touch that he allowed himself to be led into the line. Almost subconsciously, his fingers squeezed hers as the train of cars rattled past, just over their heads – and the riders screamed. "Is that normal?" he asked.

"The screaming?"

"Well, that – and the fact that it sounds like the wood is about to splinter into a few million pieces."

"That's half the fun," Jaime told him. "And it's perfectly safe. It'll do you a world of good."

"How do you figure?"

Jaime grinned. "Reports from the Intelligence community indicate that _**fun **_is good for your mental – and physical – health." Oscar was clearly well out of his comfort zone, and looked ready to bolt, so Jaime leaned closer and wrapped a gentle arm around his waist in a quick, reassuring hug. "You can do this, you know."

Her effect on him was startling and immediate. For another moment of contact like that one, Oscar suspected he'd try almost anything. He smiled a little less nervously and stepped forward with the rest of the line.

"I'm really proud of you, you know," Jaime said simply. She leaned into him once more for another one-armed embrace, resting her head on his shoulder for the briefest of seconds. It was amazing how easy it was to be with 'this' Oscar. As comfortable as a warm, soft blanket – and a lot more fun.

Before they knew it, they reached the loading platform. "Ladies first," Oscar insisted. Jaime kept a firm hold on his hand to ensure that he followed her. Slowly, the ride cranked into gear...


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Jenn was normally sweet and even-tempered...but she'd had quite enough. With a brisk stomp of determination to start her off, she followed Steve into the den and stood with her arms folded, right in the doorway – effectively trapping him inside.

"You're not walking away from this again!" she said with uncharacteristic anger. "We've always been honest with each other – _always!_– and there's something you're not telling me."

"Let it go, Jenn," Steve said through clenched teeth.

"No! Not this time!" She wasn't sure if her husband equated silence with machismo – or if he was simply being stubborn. Either way, she needed answers almost as badly as she sensed he needed to talk. "Tell me," she said simply, moving to stand behind his obstinately silent back.

"It's ugly..." Steve began, very reluctantly.

"I guessed that much." Jenn felt Steve's entire body stiffen as she tried to embrace him. "Is it...Jaime?"

"No."

"Steve, please..."

"Oscar and I were on an assignment together last year – one that went very bad, very quickly," Steve explained. "It really seemed like we wouldn't make it out. We were trapped...all alone...and we started talking." Steve stared out the window as the emotions of the still-vivid memory flooded back to him.

"Okay..." Jenn prompted. "And what happened?"

"We got to talking about our greatest regrets in life. And, well, Oscar had a big one." Steve paused, not sure he should share the rest.

Jenn understood. "I know you feel like you'd be betraying his confidence, but whatever this is, it's eating you alive, Steve!"

Steve nodded. "Yeah." Jenn leaned into him, holding him close and giving him the time he needed to gather his thoughts. Finally, Steve continued. "You know how it seems like Oscar has never had much a social life? Well, that's by his own choice and design. He _wants _it that way."

"I don't understand..."

Steve walked slowly over to the sofa and sat down, gathering his wife onto his lap. "Right after Oscar took over for Oliver Spencer, he met a woman. Maria. He told me she was beautiful, funny, smart – and things progressed very quickly. They'd been together just over six months when he asked her to marry him...and she accepted immediately."

"Oscar was _married?_"

"No. It was going to be a simple ceremony – nothing elaborate, very small – but a couple of weeks before the wedding, something...happened."

"What happened?" Jenn prompted, feeling her husband shudder.

"Maria was kidnapped by a small but very vicious terror cell that used her for leverage against Oscar."

"Oh, no..."

"Normally, the OSI does not negotiate with terrorists under any circumstances, but Oscar risked everything. He went in after her himself, giving them exactly what they wanted...but it was too late. They'd already killed her, probably within minutes of when she was taken."

"That's awful," Jenn said, tears welling in her eyes. "That poor man!"

"Oscar vowed right then and there to never get close to another woman for fear the same would happen to her."

"And you think that group could take Jaime?" Jenn gasped.

"They're long since out of the picture, but there are hundreds more just like them. If Jaime decides she wants to be with Oscar, she may as well paint a bright red target on her back..."

* * *

The thick metal chain groaned as it began to tug the coaster train up the lift hill. To Oscar, it sounded like it was about to give way, like it hadn't been oiled in years (when in fact it was tested and serviced every morning). The wooden slats grumbled below them, and Jaime placed her hand on top of Oscar's, where he was white-knuckling the lap bar. He saw her reassuring smile and he sighed, trying to relax. Then, the train reached the top of the peak, hesitated...and began to plummet.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"So for Jaime's safety," Steve concluded, "and for Oscar's, they're better off staying the hell away from each other."

Jenn nuzzled against her husband, relieved he had finally opened up to her. "Is this a general worry, or has there been a recent threat?"

"There's _always _a threat – he's Oscar Goldman."

"True, but -"

"Yes, there's something recent," Steve confirmed. "A lot of somethings, to be honest."

"Maybe he's actually safer _with_ Jaime," Jenn proposed. "I mean, she could defend the both of them if she had to -"

Steve shook his head. His eyes were dark and grim. "No one – not even Jaime or I – can defend against a bullet."

* * *

His scream would've been earth-shattering, if the sudden drop hadn't stolen his breath away. Besides, Oscar had never been a screamer. He glanced over at Jaime, who was obviously having the time of her life...and tried to smile, for her sake. Before his head caught up with the dizzying fall, the little train swooped up-down, then up again, around a hairpin turn, then straight toward the ground at a speed so intense that Oscar thought they might break right through the tracks.

And...the tracks! How _old _was that wood, anyway? The lap bar – was it really enough to hold them? What if it wasn't? The Secretary would have his head on a platter if he and Jaime flew out of this train...that is, if he still had a head left afterward!

By the third or fourth set of leaps-and-dips, Oscar was surprised and shocked to find himself...laughing. Jaime patted his hand and smiled triumphantly as the train braked to a stop back at the loading platform. "You did it!" she exclaimed.

Oscar took her hand and pulled her back toward the beginning of the line. "We _have _to do that again!"

* * *

"How serious are these threats?" Jenn asked, beginning to grow anxious. "Are there really...a lot of them?"

"Darlin', pick any point in time and there are at least a dozen active threats against the OSI or against Oscar in particular...and at least a hundred different suspects. We have to try and ignore them when we work – or we'd get nothing accomplished aside from watching our own backs. But in the last few weeks, from what I've been told, things have intensified. I just can't understand what Oscar is thinking, going _anywhere _with Jaime right now. He's asking for trouble – for the both of them..."

* * *

Intelligence people are said to be hooked on the adrenaline rush, and once Oscar had gotten his first taste of the harmless 'dangers' of an amusement park, he was insatiable. He and Jaime rode the ferris wheel (twice), the bumper cars (where she dominated) and were now taking in a bird's-eye view of the entire area via the skyway.

"It's beautiful up here!" Jaime exulted, savoring the scents of popcorn, cotton candy and fresh-roasted peanuts as she watched the children below them skip joyfully from ride to ride.

"It sure is," Oscar agreed, watching only Jaime. He had traveled all over the world, had seen and done incredible things...but only _this_ woman could have brought him an adventure like the one he'd just experienced. There were so many things he wanted to tell her – how with just the touch of her hand, she'd pulled out a side of him he didn't know existed, and that for the first time in far too many years, he almost felt like he could open up his heart. (If only it was safe...) Which reminded him...there were things he _should_ be telling her. If he told her about Maria, would she think he was trying to get too serious, too fast? Jaime was likely nowhere near ready for a relationship. Was that even what this was – a _relationship?_He certainly felt drawn to her, but was it merely a spark of chemistry between two compatible co-workers (or, rather a boss and his employee), or was this – could it possibly be – something more? Oscar didn't have the words just yet to try and find that out. What he could do, at this very moment, was to take Jaime's hand and smile.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

When the skyway reached the other side of the park, Jaime and Oscar stopped for a snack. Oscar munched contentedly on his popcorn, watching Jaime as she tore into a cone of cotton candy with all the joy of a five-year-old. "You never fail to surprise me, Babe," he told her. At her quizzical look, he went on. "I'd have pictured you more as the corn dog type."

"Eew," Jaime said, wrinkling her nose.

If it was possible, Oscar thought, she looked even more beautiful making faces at him. "Jaime..." he began, still not entirely certain what he was about to say, "thank you for dragging me out of the office and bringing me here -"

"Kinda had to force the fun down your throat," she joked. "But it's been good seeing you let go a little bit. You don't always have to carry ALL the world's troubles on that one set of shoulders, you know. Besides...you look really good out of that awful suit-and-tie." Jaime blushed, realizing what that sounded like."I...I mean...um..."

"Relax," Oscar laughed. "It feels great to be rid of it for awhile." Still, Oscar knew there were certain things he couldn't be rid of. "Babe, I need to talk to you about something."

"Sounds serious."

"It is. You see -"

"Sorry, Mr. Goldman," Jaime said lightly, "but my friend Oscar left you at the office today. Serious is gonna have to wait until Monday."

"Jaime -"

Jaime's jaw jutted out and set stubbornly, her eyes meeting his gaze dead-on. "The purpose of all of this was for you to leave the rest of the world on 'simmer' for one day." Her lower lip quivered into an over-dramatic pout...and Oscar's heart (and his resolve) melted.

"Alright," he laughed. "Then _Mr Goldman_ is requesting _Miss Sommers' _presence in his office first thing Monday morning." He looked into her eyes and all of his doubt and fear were gone. "And Oscar would be honored if Jaime would accompany him to dinner this evening."

Jaime put the faux-pout away and smiled happily. "I'd love that."

* * *

"So where are they now?" Steve queried. "Did Jaime tell you where they were going?"

Jenn hesitated. "Well, yes, but..."

"But _don't tell ol' Grumpy-Pants or he might ruin everything _– right?"

"Well...yeah."

"Are they at least somewhere private, out of the public eye, where they aren't posing like two ducks in a shooting gallery?"

* * *

"Where would you like to eat?" Oscar asked as Jaime tossed their snack debris in the waste can.

"How about pizza? I'm not picky about where."

"Pizza? Not steak or lobster, or -"

"Nope. Pizza suits the day better," Jaime insisted.

"You know, I think you're right." Oscar beamed when Jaime took his hand before setting out down the midway. They relaxed into each other as they walked – not like lovers, but like two people so comfortable together that separation, even on a midway path, was unthinkable.

Suddenly, Jaime stiffened and stopped in her tracks. She raised a careful finger to Oscar's lips before he could ask what was wrong. He waited silently...and she frowned. "That was strange," she finally told him. "I could've sworn...but it must've been my imagination – or something from the shooting gallery."

_Shooting gallery?_Oscar was instantly on full alert. "What? Did you hear something?"

"I thought I did...but maybe not." Jaime picked up his hand and they continued toward the parking lot. She couldn't shake the gnawing feeling that something was _wrong_, but she struggled to ignore it. "That's funny," she said, frowning. Her key wouldn't fit into the lock on the car door. She stuck a fingernail into the mechanism and felt something hard and just slightly sticky. When Oscar reached over to help her, Jaime suddenly wished she'd listened to her instincts.

"Turn around and get up against the car," a voice behind them commanded. "Very quietly."

Oscar threw a protective arm around Jaime as they slowly turned to face three men. Two of them held guns and the third pointed toward the open back doors of a nearby van. "Get in. Both of you. Now."


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Jaime and Oscar stood with their backs against the car, each trying in less than a split-second to formulate their next move. "I said **NOW**," their would-be captor menaced. "My friends here have enough bullets to take out a whole lot of innocent bystanders...after they shoot you both in the head. Wouldn't want that to happen, would you?" The two gunman stepped forward, taking Jaime and Oscar each by the arm and pulling them apart before forcing them into the van.

Jaime had no chance to fight. As soon as she and Oscar were inside the van, chloroform-soaked rags were pressed tightly over their faces as the back doors slammed shut and the van sped away.

* * *

"Jenn, just tell me where they are!"

Jenn raised an eyebrow. "I hope that wasn't an order, _Colonel_," she snapped.

"Look, every agent learns early on to listen to their instinct – to that little voice inside – it's how we stay alive. And right now, mine is yelling up a storm. Oscar and Jaime are in trouble. Now...please..." his voice softened, "where did they go?"

* * *

"Keep an eye on her," the driver told the men seated between Jaime and Oscar's prone bodies. "Boss says she packs a mean wallop. If she even starts coming around, give it to her again."

"What about _him_?" one crony asked, waving his gun toward Oscar.

"We don't need him. Just take his wallet – a little extra bonus for us – then shoot him and dump him out the back."

"Alright," the gunman agreed, cocking his weapon and reaching for Oscar's wallet. "Doesn't look like he'd have much money, but..._whoa!_" The man's face turned several varied shades of pale. "You sure you want me to off this guy?"

"He's no use to us," the driver said sharply. "We grabbed him so he wouldn't interfere, and now that we've got _her_-"

"Do you know who this is?"

"I don't care if he's James Dean reincarnated – get rid of him!"

"Ever hear of Oscar Goldman?"

"Yeah, but -"

"This is him," the gunman said excitedly. "We've got Goldman!"

"Uh-huh," the driver sighed, not even glancing backward. "You expect me to believe that Oscar Goldman was at _Funland_ – dressed like _that_?"

"Got a driver's license and an ID that says so."

"Wallet's probably stolen."

"It's a government ID...with a picture."

The driver pulled abruptly to the side of the road. "Gimme that," he demanded, yanking the wallet from the gunman's hands. "Well, I'll be damned. We got us a two-for-one special!"

* * *

Steve found Jaime's car easily, still parked at Funland. "They're probably still in there, having a great time," Jenn theorized, trying to reassure her husband.

Steve walked around the car, jiggled the doors and then jimmied the trunk. He was about to agree with Jenn, that maybe he'd over-reacted, until his eyes caught a metallic glimmer behind the front driver's side tire. As a last-ditch clue, in the hopes that someone might come looking for them, Jaime had quietly dropped her keys.

Steve scooped them up...and his heart sank. "Time to call Jack Hansen," he said. He hoped they weren't already too late...

* * *

Oscar woke up to find himself in what appeared to be a very large den or a drawing room, with an elaborate brass-and-glass bar at one end and a spiral staircase leading to the next floor off to his left. Tapestry drapes had been pulled shut to cover the wall of picture windows directly in front of him. The room had obviously been furnished by someone with exquisitely expensive tastes – and the ability to afford them. Oscar had been handcuffed and bound securely to a chair. He couldn't turn around, but somehow sensed that he was all alone. He knew from the lack of a gag that they were somewhere isolated, well out into the countryside. The lack of a blindfold was even more ominous. Oscar knew that they didn't care who or what he saw...because they were planning to kill him.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

The voice came from directly behind him, so Oscar couldn't see the face. "Well, Mr. Goldman, so nice to finally meet you in person. You must have been hot on somebody's trail today – my employees tell me you were walking hand-in-hand with Miss Sommers. At an amusement park, no less! Must be some case you were working on, huh? Well, no matter now. You are officially off duty. And as for Jaime Sommers..." Oscar's captor laughed, sending icy-cold daggers through Oscar's heart.

"What did you do to her?" Oscar asked softly.

"Do I detect a note of _pain_ in your voice, Oscar? I _can_call you Oscar, right? Since we'll be getting so well acquainted."

"Where is Jaime?"

"On a first name basis with all of your agents, Oscar? Or perhaps just the ones you walk so close to? Hmm? Well, don't worry about her. You have more pressing matters to attend to."

Oscar stiffened in the chair, struggling angrily against unbreakable bonds. "Where. Is. She?" he demanded.

"It sounds like this cold-blooded bureaucratic machine may have softened a little," the unseen voice said, mocking him. "Don't worry, Oscar. We haven't hurt her. Yet."

* * *

Jack Hansen frowned. "How do you know she didn't merely lose her keys?"

"That's ridiculous!" Steve barked. "How long have you been an idiot? They're in _trouble_!"

"What, exactly, makes you think that?" Hansen queried.

Jenn eased a quiet arm around Steve's waist, trying to keep his temper in check. "My instinct," Steve insisted. "My gut."

"We don't operate on instinct, Colonel – we operate on facts."

"Fact One," Steve seethed, "Jaime has never in her life lost a set of car keys. Fact Two – we've already had them paged. Twice. Fact Three -" Steve took a step toward the ally who was quickly becoming a nemesis. "If you had a little bit of instinct yourself – or even an ounce of common sense – you might be able to do your damn job!"

"We've already placed tracers on the phones at Sommers and Goldman's residences and at Goldman's office – and I have agents monitoring them all," Hansen replied with exasperating composure. "There have been no ransom demands. We have no witnesses, Colonel, no clues and zero evidence. I don't suppose your _instincts _might like to suggest where we go from here?"

* * *

The interrogation had now begun in earnest, but Oscar wasn't about to give up anything. At least, not without one string attached. "I'll tell you everything you want to know," he promised, "once Jaime is freed – unharmed."

"I don't think you're in a position to be calling the shots, Oscar," his captor taunted.

"Non-negotiable. Take it or leave it." Of course, Oscar had no intention of telling them anything, but he knew full well what they would do to him in the end (no matter what), so securing Jaime's safety and freedom was the very least he could do.

"I'm afraid that's not open for discussion. My buyers would be most displeased if they arrived to find their merchandise was gone. But I wouldn't worry too much. Some of them can be fairly compassionate. If the right bidder takes her, they may even put her out before...well, I'll let you picture the rest."

* * *

Jaime woke up very slowly, then immediately closed her eyes. Instinct told her she'd be safer if they thought she was still asleep. In her one quick glance, she saw that she was in a bedroom with expensive white-oak furniture and huge bay windows that looked out onto a vast, green estate. There was a large, burly man in the doorway who (fortunately) didn't appear to have noticed she was awake. As her eyes snapped closed, Jaime caught a glimpse of the glint of a gun sticking out of his belt.

Where was Oscar? Was he hurt...or worse? Carefully, she tried to focus her ear for any signs of his voice. Then...she heard him. _Take it or leave it..._ When she heard their captor's voice, detailing the plans he had for her, it was Jaime's worst nightmare brought vividly to life. The voice echoed through her mind until, combined with what she'd seen of her surroundings, she knew exactly where she was – and who had captured them. _She_was the target – not Oscar! Jaime allowed herself one moment of raw, sheer terror before her mind clicked into gear and began scrambling, trying to come up with a way to get them both out alive.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"Who _are _you?" Oscar demanded.

"You don't need to know that," the disembodied voice behind him insisted. "I want every safe combination, every code and every password that's stored in your head, and then -"

"I'll cooperate," Oscar said quietly, "if you let me talk to Jaime first."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. Oh, she's alive – for now – but I don't think she's feeling especially talkative. Although maybe seeing her might be just the persuasion you need to cooperate." Oscar listened as his tormentor clicked on a walkie-talkie. "Is the Sommers woman awake yet? No? Well, secure her anyway and bring her to the me in the den."

Jaime heard this, as well, and forced herself to remain limp and unresisting as she was handcuffed, shackled and carried down the stairs. The two men who'd carried her dropped her unceremoniously onto the sofa, directly to Oscar's left. Their captor secured Oscar's left arm to the chair and uncuffed his wrists so his right arm was free. A writing tablet and pen were tossed into Oscar's lap.

"Write it all down – everything I've asked for," the man ordered. "Her new owners will arrive in one hour, and if you've cooperated, she'll be turned over to them unharmed. If you resist, I will kill her in front of you. _One hour._"

With that, the door to the den slammed shut...and Jaime and Oscar were finally alone.

* * *

While Russ manned an independent phone line, trying to gather any information he could find, Jack Hansen glowered, Steve paced...and Jenn sat sobbing in a chair.

"This is all my fault," she cried bitterly.

"You didn't know this would happen," Steve said, stopping long enough to kiss her gently on the cheek.

"I should've listened to you. I should've never -"

"Your intentions were only good ones, Darling," Steve told her.

"I just...I thought...that maybe they'd be good for each other."

Steve stopped pacing and wrapped his arms around his wife's trembling shoulders. "Maybe they still can be..."

* * *

Jaime stayed completely still, her eyes closed, until she heard all three sets of footsteps recede down the hallway. Her ear picked up no telltales clicks from any listening devices, so it was safe to talk. "Are you alright?" she finally whispered.

Relief flooded over Oscar so strongly that it almost brought tears to his eyes. "Jaime...thank God! I thought you were -"

"We have to get outta here," she said in a quiet, urgent voice. Quickly, she swung her legs down off of the sofa and kicked her ankles apart, breaking the shackles. The handcuffs, though, were another story. "We might have to fight our way out," she whispered. "If I snap these, I'll probably break my arm."

"Come over here," Oscar told her. For a second, their eyes met. There was so much that had to remain unsaid...for now. "Turn around." While Jaime stood with her back to him, Oscar inserted the pen between the links that connected her metal cuffs. Then he gently moved her right index finger to wrap it around the pen. "Try and twist it," he suggested.

Almost immediately, the chain snapped. Jaime stretched out her left arm – none the worse for wear – and smiled. Working at bionic speed, she freed Oscar's other arm and then broke the ropes that held him to the chair. "We make a good team," she said, very softly.

"Let's get this team out of here," Oscar suggested, "before whoever-that-is comes back with his so-called customers."

"Oscar...you didn't know him?"

"I didn't _see _him."

"That was Donald Harris!" Jaime ran to the wall of windows and peered out through the drapes. "Dogs," she announced. "They look hungry...and _mean_."

Oscar turned toward the bar and joined her with a handful of beef sticks and cheese. "Maybe this'll work. Let's go."

Instead of smashing the window and drawing attention, Jaime tried to buy them a little more time by prying the entire huge frame from its base and setting the pane of glass aside. Oscar tossed some of the snacks into the yard and they stepped cautiously out the now-gaping hole.

Another team of dogs rounded the side of the estate, barking furiously. Jaime heard cursing from inside the house...coming closer...then bullets began piercing the drapes that covered the gaping hole. They had no choice but to **run**...


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

The long, winding driveway was in their sights, but it would've left them completely exposed. Off toward one rear corner of the estate was a thick grove of trees – a bit of a distance but still their best option. Oscar was fast, but the dogs were nearly at his heels...and Jaime wasn't about to leave him behind. Without stopping to think about it, she lifted Oscar over one shoulder and headed into the grove of trees, throwing the last of the beef sticks back to try and distract the dogs.

"I hope you still trust me," she told him, drawing all of her energy into one single leap – straight up into the treetops. They landed exactly where she'd been aiming, in a high but sturdy fork toward the top of thick old oak tree. Carefully, she leaned to the side to allow Oscar to slide down and sit next to her. "How's your balance?" she whispered.

"Hopefully it's still good," he answered, still trying to re-orient himself. He looked at Jaime, who met his gaze straight on. "Thank you," he said simply. "I'd never have made it out alone."

"We're not quite 'out' yet," Jaime observed. The dogs had followed them into the grove of trees before abruptly losing the scent and were pacing back and forth below them, growling rabidly. "I'm sure our friends aren't far behind."

Oscar reached for the gun he'd normally have carried, then realized he'd left it behind, in its holder...in his suit jacket. A t-shirt and jeans left little space to carry a weapon. There were some good sturdy branches just beyond his reach – and that gave Oscar an idea. "Put your arm around my waist," he told Jaime, "and hold onto me." Once she had a good grip, he leaned out and wrestled with the branches until he broke one off. He handed it to Jaime, who knew exactly what he was thinking. "I'll try and get another one – for insurance – just don't let go." The next one was thicker and a little further away. Oscar barely reached it with his fingertips and – trusting Jaime with his very life once again – he leaned completely off of their forked seat and pulled with all of his strength. His targeted weapon came off in his hands and Oscar no longer felt wood beneath him. He began to topple, but Jaime's grasp on him was secure and she easily reeled him back to sit beside her.

"Teamwork," Jaime said with a grin, as Oscar steadied himself, still clutching the broken tree limb.

"You are amazing," Oscar said softly.

"_**We **_are amazing. And just in time." The approaching footsteps were close enough now that Oscar could hear them too. Jaime held the first branch in her hands, weighing her options. Three men...possibly four...at least two guns. She waited until their pursuers were nearly beneath them, clumped together with the confused dog pack ambling between them. She made a slight twisting motion as she sent the branch in their direction, so that rather than shooting in javelin-style, it had the rotor motion of a chopper blade, hitting one man, then the next, then a third – and sending the dogs scattering in every direction. Two of the men got up and began staggering around, one of them firing his weapon wildly into the air. Oscar handed the second quasi-weapon to her and Jaime spun that one in to take them all down. The gun sailed from the shooter's hand and although he reached for it, he made no move to actually retrieve it.

Their assailants down – at least temporarily – Oscar could only take Jaime's hand and marvel over what they'd accomplished. "Absolutely amazing..." he murmured.

Jaime looked at him with new eyes lit by freedom...and safety. She smiled. "Now...about that pizza..."


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

"I don't think they deliver pizzas into the treetops," Oscar said reasonably.

"Yeah...maybe we'd better get down first, huh?" Jaime looked toward the ground, where their pursuers were already beginning to stir. "And fast, too – 'cause it looks like our new friends have other ideas." She grabbed Oscar around the waist again, eased him over her shoulder and (before either of them had time to think about it) jumped. After a solid two-point landing, she quickly lowered Oscar to his feet. Impulsively, she embraced him as his equilibrium returned, then she hurried to find and pick up the two guns. She crushed the first one underfoot and was about to move on to the second when she felt Oscar's hand on her shoulder.

"Don't," he asked softly. "Let me have that."

"But -"

"We might need it."

Jaime stepped back and allowed him to take it. "Now, about our welcoming committee..." she said. "Lucky for us they have _these_." She plucked a set of handcuffs from two of their pockets and, before the men were awake enough to fight, dragged the two of them to sit against a tree, their backs to each other with the tree trunk between them. Not needing any instructions, Oscar handcuffed them together. He and Jaime glanced over at the third man, who had no handcuffs.

"Take off your belt," Jaime requested.

"Never on a first date," Oscar chuckled, handing it to her anyway. He helped Jaime secure the man to his cohorts. "I'll have them picked up later," he noted. "They aren't going anywhere."

"Oscar..." Jaime gasped, "Harris isn't here." She turned back toward the estate. "I'm going after him."

"Jaime – _stop_!" Oscar called, more in his suit-and-tie mode than he'd intended. "Please," he added (to soften the impact).

"But -"

"We have to pick our battles. We'll get him, but on our terms," Oscar promised. He extended an arm and it seemed perfectly natural for Jaime to lean into it. "Let's figure out where we are first -"

"We're in Virginia," Jaime announced. At Oscar's quizzical look, she explained. "Donald bought an estate in Virginia when he moved out here to finish law school."

"I guess the education didn't take. Well, we have two choices. We can call Washington – where they probably haven't even realized we're gone - then wait for them to send transport or we can find our own way back."

"I think we just found our ride," Jaime said, grinning as she picked up a set of car keys that had fallen from an attacker's pocket. "I'll bet these fit one of the monstrosities out front."

"_Miss Sommers!_" Oscar gasped with mock consternation. "Resorting to car theft?"

Jaime shrugged. "We'll return it. They can have full use of it in...oh...twenty years or so. Besides, it'll get us back in time for supper."

* * *

With a thin white pizza box held between them, Jaime and Oscar boarded the express elevator to his suite of offices. "You went out on a limb for me today," Oscar said, "and I really appreciate that."

Jaime smiled. "Aw...and some people would say I was outta my tree."

"It's was time to branch out and try something new," Oscar shot back.

"Well, together we managed to stick it to 'em," Jaime giggled.

"Definitely a day for the log book," Oscar agreed. As the elevator doors opened, they were laughing so hard that they nearly dropped their dinner...directly at Steve's feet.

"Pizza?" Steve sputtered. "You've been out for pizza?"

"We were hungry," Jaime told him.

"Do you know that half of the quad-state area is out looking for you two?" Steve demanded. "And I've never been happier to see either one of you than I am right now."

Hearing the commotion, everyone came flooding out of Oscar's office. Jenn rushed to hug her friend, Rudy tried to get close enough to ensure neither Oscar nor Jaime was hurt, and Jack Hansen merely stood in the background...and scowled.

Oscar looked over at Jaime and winked. "Looks like we need to order more pizza."


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

The pizzas had been whittled down to a few mere outer crusts and Jack Hansen had long since stormed off in a huff of indignation. To him, laughter and pizza did not equate with a _real _kidnapping. Rudy finally headed home and Russ went down to his own office to supervise the search for Donald Harris, so with just Jaime, Steve, Jenn and himself remaining, Oscar twirled a lock on the liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of wine. "My private stash," he said, returning with four glasses.

Jenn noticed immediately that instead of seating himself back behind his desk, Oscar chose a spot on the loveseat by the window...right next to Jaime. "To dear friends," he toasted, raising his glass, "and to new partnerships."

"To teamwork," Jaime added. "And to trees."

"What I still don't understand," Oscar began (after they'd all clinked glasses), "is how you knew it was Harris, if you never saw him."

"I heard his voice, saying all those terrible things to you." Jaime's hand lightly brushed Oscar's and then quickly moved away, but not fast enough for Jenn to miss the contact. "That, and the picture of his father in a sterling frame on the nightstand."

"And you took out a whole picture window without breaking the glass?" Steve marveled. "Pretty tidy move; I'll have to remember that one."

"Yeah, well hopefully you'll never have to use it," Jaime said quietly.

"It must've been awful," Jenn commiserated, giving her husband the _shut-up-you-idiot _look.

"The worst part is that whoever his _buyers _are," (Jaime shivered as she said the word), "they're still out there. And so is he."

"We'll find him, Babe," Oscar promised, taking her hand firmly in his. This time, she wasn't as quick to let go.

"What about his father?" Jaime asked, a tinge of anxiety creeping into her voice. "Where's Carlton now?"

"Securely locked away in the Federal Pen," Oscar assured her. "I had Russ order him moved to solitary, under heavy guard."

"So this was all about revenge," Steve surmised, "or profit." He saw Jaime cringe slightly at the same moment his wife poked him in the ribs. "Sorry..." he mumbled. "I think we've had enough excitement for today, huh, Jenn?"

With handshakes and hugs, Steve and Jenn took their leave. Oscar saw them out, then wondered if (now that they were alone) it was still appropriate for him to sit right next to Jaime. Then he noticed that she was shaking...and suddenly there was nowhere else he _could_sit. "Are you alright? We could call Rudy back if -"

Jaime shook her head. "I'm...okay."

"Look at me," he said very softly. Jaime met his gaze with eyes that brimmed over with tears. "This isn't your boss sitting here. I'm just Oscar. Please...talk to me?"

"It's...my worst nightmare, you know..." Jaime told him, her voice trembling almost as much as she was. "Being cut into pieces...and sold for scrap..."

"I would never let that happen to you," Oscar promised.

"You can't guarantee that. Nobody can." In spite of her efforts to control them, her tears became full-fledged sobs and Oscar wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"It's okay to cry," he whispered as Jaime leaned her head against his shoulder. "It was an awful experience." His other arm pulled her close, and he held her until her sobs quieted and the trembling ceased. Slowly, she raised her head to look straight into his eyes.

"I heard what you said – to Donald, I mean. You...you were willing to face all that alone...to save me."

"I had to at least try."

"But they would've _killed _you..."

Oscar brushed the last of her tears away with a gentle fingertip. "We're both safe now. And I'd say we make one hell of a good team."

"I hope this isn't where I'm supposed to say _Let's do it again sometime_," Jaime added, finally smiling just a little bit.

"But I do think we should celebrate our victory – and freedom," Oscar suggested. He noticed that he still had one arm around Jaime, but it felt too comfortable – too _right_– for him to pull away now. "Let me buy you dinner tomorrow...wine, lobster, the works. How does that sound?" Jaime nodded her agreement and they both smiled. They'd certainly have a lot to talk about.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

_Is this a __**date**__? _Jaime wondered the next afternoon as she began to get ready for her dinner with Oscar. Reservations at the finest restaurant in Washington (which Oscar had somehow finagled on less than a day's notice) hardly seemed the stuff of a business meal. She wasn't entirely sure how to approach it...or how she felt about it.

She couldn't possibly be falling for him...could she? When he'd held her the night before, in his office, his arms had felt so warm and inviting, so _natural_. She'd been widowed less than three months, though, so diving headlong into a relationship – with her _boss_, no less – was almost unthinkable. Still, it wasn't as though she and Michael had been ripped from each other's loving arms. Their parting had been ugly and violent. Jaime wasn't struggling to get over the loss of his love as much as she was fighting to overcome the trauma Michael had inflicted. She still had nightmares about what he had done to her, how he'd so nearly killed her, and about the last time she saw him.

Surprisingly, last night (for the first time in months) there had been no nightmares. Jaime had dreamed about Oscar – how he'd been willing to give his life to save her and how he'd held her so gently while she cried it all out of her system. It had been too long since a man had touched her without anger or menace, and Jaime had awakened that morning with a smile.

* * *

Unlike Jaime, Oscar knew exactly what he hoped for. He'd secretly harbored feelings for Jaime from the first time he'd met her, years ago, when she was still with Steve. He'd watched her marry Michael and had wished both of them only the best. Now she was on her own, and when they'd maneuvered their way to safety together, Oscar came away from the experience with a new admiration and profound respect for the agent in Jaime...and for the _woman_, too. Yes, Oscar knew what he wanted – to get to know the woman inside the agent and maybe even grow closer to her, in time. He wasn't afraid of Jack Hansen's reaction, or the Secretary's or any of the people Jaime liked to call Penguins. One thought did terrify him...and nearly froze him in his tracks. Jaime had been through so much and her deepest scars were in her heart. The last thing Oscar wanted to do was to cause her any more pain.

* * *

"Okay, you were right," Steve admitted. "They...ah...look good together."

"Thank you," Jenn answered, kissing him. "And?"

"And...ah...it would do them both good to have someone to talk to, to lean on a little bit."

"And?"

"More?" Steve shook his head and laughed. "You're relentless, you know that?"

"C'mon," she persisted.

"Okay. Alright. _And _my wife is the most beautiful woman on the planet."

"Not the answer I was looking for, but definitely acceptable." Jenn wondered if she should share the news that Jaime had called so excitedly to tell her. Steve would find out sooner or later, so she figured she might as well spill it. "They're going out to dinner tonight. Wine, candles...the whole nine yards."

Steve raised an eyebrow, thinking it over. "_Now _am I allowed to call it a date?"

"Now you can call it a date," she confirmed.

* * *

Jaime made one final spin in front of the mirror when she heard Oscar's car pull into the driveway. Her heart pounded with an unexpected case of nerves when he knocked on the door. As soon as she saw his face beaming at her, all of her doubts disappeared and her nerves quieted to the pitter-pat of happy butterflies in her stomach. Oscar had dressed for the occasion in his best black-tie outfit (looking nothing at all like a Penguin) and Jaime wondered why she'd never noticed before just how handsome he really was.

Oscar opened the car door for her and wondered to himself how he'd ever be able to take his eyes off of her. Her dress was breath-taking, skimming her body perfectly, all the way to her ankles. The beigey-cream colored fabric (almost perfectly matching her skin tone) seemed to shimmer when she moved and her topaz pendant brought out the specks of gold in her hazel eyes.

"Gotta say you clean up pretty nicely," Jaime told him, smiling with her entire face.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

When they got to the restaurant, Oscar led Jaime to a private, curtained booth in a quiet alcove. Jaime was dazzled by every detail. Her jaw literally dropped and for just a moment, she was speechless. "Wow..." she whispered.

Oscar smiled. (He just couldn't seem to stop doing that around her.) "So...you like it?"

"I love it! I've never...I mean I...I'm not used to this."

"You're an amazing woman," Oscar said simply. "You deserve to be treated as one."

"Have you...been here before?"

"Only with stuffy old Heads-of-State and their equally boring wives. Tonight, I look forward to enjoying it for the first time...with you." He raised his glass toward Jaime's. "May the only touches you know be gentle ones and may you find happiness to warm your heart."

Self-consciously, Jaime lowered her left arm; his words had given her goosebumps. "Thank you, Oscar – for all of this."

"Are you cold?" he asked, noticing what she'd just tried to hide.

"No...I..." Jaime didn't know quite how to react. Oscar was so kind to her, so warm and comforting, but a tiny piece of her was screaming inside. _You'll only be hurt again. Words are easy to come by...and your heart is still in a million pieces..._ She no longer saw her boss sitting next to her in the buttery softness of their private booth. This was _Oscar_...but what would it be like the next time she had to sit across the desk from _Mr. Goldman_? "It's been a long time since I've been with anyone," she admitted. "I guess I'm a little shell-shocked."

"I'd be surprised if you weren't," he noted gently. "Jaime, I don't expect anything other than for you to hopefully be able to relax and enjoy yourself."

Jaime took a sip from her glass. "I won't _whine_about that," she quipped.

"Well now, that comment is Vintage Jaime," Oscar chuckled. They clinked glasses once more, suddenly infinitely more comfortable together.

They laughed and quipped their way through Oysters Rockefeller, Caesar Salad and Surf and Turf until they were both breathless and satiated. The waiter delivered a bottle of perfectly-chilled Cristal and Oscar was just about to make another toast (to a beautiful evening with a beautiful woman) when the Maitre d' apologetically peeked through the curtain.

"I'm so sorry to intrude, Mr. Goldman, but you are needed on the telephone."

Oscar shook his head...and beamed at Jaime. "Tell whoever it is that I can be reached tomorrow at my office."

"Yes, Sir."

"You're a popular man," Jaime noted.

"I could do with a little _less _popularity," Oscar told her. "Now, where were we?" He raised his champagne flute. "To a most beautiful eve -"

"Mr. Goldman -" the Maitre d' had (very reluctantly) returned. "He says it is Rudy Wells...and it is urgent."

Jaime knew something terrible must have happened for Rudy to track them down like this. "You'd better take it. I'll wait for you – I promise."

"I'm so sorry," Oscar said, lightly brushing her cheek with his fingertips before getting up to follow the Maitre d'.

Jaime took the time alone to ponder everything that had passed between them tonight. She felt warmed from the curls on the top of her head to the very tips of her bionic toes – and it wasn't from the wine or Cristal. For the first time in far too long, she couldn't wait to find out what would happen next.

The wait was a short one. Within less than a minute, the curtain parted again. "That was quick – is everything alright?" she asked. Then her face paled because...it wasn't Oscar. "Donald..."

"Stay very quiet," Donald Harris instructed. In his hand was a small silver pistol, pointed directly at Jaime. "We've already got Goldman. You're going to get up – silently – put your arm around my waist and come with me. Any bionic nonsense, and you'll never see Goldman again – alive or dead."

* * *

Oscar puzzled to himself as he returned to the booth. The phone had disconnected when he'd answered, and when he'd called Rudy back, he'd awakened him from a sound sleep. Puzzlement turned to alarm when he opened the curtain and saw Jaime's little gold clutch purse in her seat and her shoes under the table.

_Jaime was gone._


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Oscar knew from the shoes that she wasn't in the Ladies Room. (No right-minded woman would go barefoot into a public bathroom; the shoes were a perfect clue.) Immediately, he commandeered the restaurant manager's office and his telephone and sent out the alarm. He was on the phone with Russ – who was simultaneously on the phone with Hansen – when a soft voice called to him from the doorway.

"Oscar...?"

Thinking it was a waitress or possibly a Washington hanger-on, Oscar waved them away without turning around.

"_Oscar_...or is it Mr. Goldman now, since you're hard at work?"

_Jaime. _"Russ, I'll call you back." Oscar hung up the phone and leaped out of the chair, rushing across the office to sweep Jaime into his arms, hugging her with relief. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Jaime leaned into him, slightly shaken by the ordeal but otherwise unharmed. "Donald Harris is in the Mens Room. He won't be coming out 'til someone moves that big ol' cabinet away from the door. And...I think I'd like a little more champagne now. My nerves are shot."

"Jack Hansen is on his way here," Oscar told her. "I think I could use a drink, too." He helped her back out to the booth (after a quick explanation to the manager) and took both of her hands in his, clutching them tightly. "Babe, I thought you were gone."

"So did I."

"What happened?"

"He told me they had you – and that I should go quietly. Well, I did...until I overheard you talking on the phone. You were perfectly calm, and certainly hadn't just been taken at gunpoint, so...I let him have it."

"You...hit him?"

Jaime blushed. "Not very feminine, huh?"

"You don't ever cease to amaze me."

"Well, in that case...I hit him upside his head with his own gun. After I made it into a pretzel, of course."

"That was a twisted way to handle it, Babe."

* * *

Jack Hansen was _not _amused. He hauled both Oscar and Jaime back to Oscar's office (still in black-tie and shimmering dress) to de-brief them...and to read them his version of the Riot Act.

"Twenty-four hours ago," he began, puffing out his chest with indignation, "you barely escaped from a kidnapper – who by the way was still at large -"

"Not anymore," Jaime pointed out.

"That's beside the point. And don't interrupt me, Young Lady. So twenty-four hours later, you decide to simply go out on the town. _Together!_ You may as well have lit yourselves up with a big bright neon target! Mind telling me what the _hell _you were thinking?"

Oscar shrugged. "I was grateful to Miss Sommers for saving my life – and I was hungry. Dinner seemed the best option, Jack. She deserves a commendation for everything she's done in the last two days, and she certainly _doesn't _deserve to have to listen to you!" Oscar smiled at Jaime (again) and turned back to glare at Hansen. "You and I will meet tomorrow to discuss this. We are finished for now. Goodnight, Jack."

"I am certainly not -"

"Goodnight, Jack." Once Hansen had stormed off with his usual bluster, Oscar sat down next to Jaime and wrapped a gentle arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry you had to listen to that. We'd better get you home." With his other arm, he helped an exhausted Jaime to her feet.

"You know what I think?" Jaime grinned with a touch of mischief. "He reminds me of that little troll under the bridge in the Billy Goats Gruff. Just stomps his feet and spouts steam until he turns purple...and nobody listens."

"Babe, I love the way you think." With one arm around Jaime's shoulders and the other still around her waist (from helping her up) Oscar gazed directly into her eyes. She looked back unflinchingly and they both held their breath. In one easy, tender motion, Oscar leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips, then quickly drew away. Their eyes locked together as they both wondered just exactly what that might mean.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

His meeting with Jack Hansen had gone exactly as Oscar had expected: a whole lot of words, a whole lot of bluster...and absolutely nothing accomplished. Oscar chuckled to himself. Jaime had been right – the man _did_look like an angry little troll. Oscar was just about to pick up the phone and share that thought with her when he heard a firm but quiet knock on the office door.

Jaime tentatively poked her head into the room. "Um...Callahan isn't at her desk, so I let myself in. I hope that was okay."

Oscar greeted her with a soft kiss on her cheek and a hand on the small of her back, welcoming her. "I sent her to make sure our friend the Troll left the building."

"Eew...how'd that go?"

"The Troll turned at least three separate shades of purple," Oscar told her. He noticed that she wasn't laughing with him. Her face was pale and her eyes were clouded with unspoken emotions. "Babe? What is it?"

"I...I guess...I really need to talk to you," she stammered.

"Well, come and sit down. I've got plenty of time today."

Jaime didn't move from just inside the doorway. She seemed visibly uncomfortable as she looked into the office. "I...um...well...it isn't business. Maybe a little, but mostly not and -"

Oscar nodded, suddenly understanding that Jaime needed _Oscar_, not _Mr. Goldman_. "How about if we go for a walk? Maybe down to the river?"

"Thank you," she said, exhaling a huge sigh of relief.

They walked mostly in silence, side by side but not touching, each trying to figure out exactly what they intended to say. They ended up not at the river but in a small wooded alcove close enough that they could hear the rippling of the water. Jaime sat down on a rock and Oscar sat in the crook of a tree, so near that he could touch her but distant enough to remain non-threatening. She was clearly troubled, and he wanted to make her as comfortable as possible.

"Oscar, I..." she began, "I've been thinking, about...yesterday, when we...um..."

Oscar saved her the discomfort of trying to find the words. "The last thing I wanted was to upset you, or make you uncomfortable in any way. I'm so sorry if -"

"No, that's not it. I...um...I sort of..._liked it_. And that's the problem."

Oscar frowned slightly. "It is?"

"Well...yeah. I mean, I probably _shouldn't_have liked it." Now that she'd gotten started, the words poured out of Jaime like water from a ruptured dam. "But Jack Hansen...and the Secretary...you could get in so much trouble! And what about when you have to put me to work? Then what happens? Are you gonna be too easy on me, or harder – to make up for it?"

"Jaime -"

"And...most of all...I don't know if I can give you what you deserve...I mean, I'm sort of a mess right now, if you didn't notice, and -"

Oscar stepped away from the tree, crouched down to her eye level and gently took Jaime's face in his hands. "First of all, I don't care about the Secretary _or_ Jack Hansen. I care about _you._There's no pressure here, Babe. We can take things day by day and just see where it all leads us. As for your future assignments, we'll play that by ear. If it's too uncomfortable for either of us, I can have Russ supervise your missions and I'll just stay in the background. Alright?"

Jaime nodded, overwhelmed and touched by what she was hearing.

"And one other thing," Oscar said, "about yesterday. I liked it too – very much."

Jaime finally smiled, and Oscar caressed her cheekbone and the curve of her jaw before leaning in for a kiss. It was soft, sweet and filled with the hope that there would be many more kisses to come.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Steve was _not_ happy. He and Jaime had both been called in to meet with Oscar for an update on the Donald Harris situation. "Harris hasn't told you _anything_?" he parroted back to Oscar.

"Not even name, rank or serial number," Oscar confirmed. "Hansen and his team couldn't get a word out of him."

"Well, that's great," Steve grumbled. "That means the potential 'buyers' he had lined up are still out there – and they know all about Jaime!"

"I think I proved that I can take care of myself," Jaime said gently.

Oscar shook his head. "That may be true, Babe, but Steve is right. You aren't safe at this point; not by any definition of the word."

"So what do we do?" Steve wondered. "They want a bionic person, and don't seem to care if they get one alive...or dead. Right?"

"That sums it up neatly," Oscar agreed.

"Well, then let's bait the trap and give them one – me."

"Steve -" Jaime protested. "They don't know you from Adam. It's me they want. They've probably seen those nifty little tapes Donald's father made. You as the bait wouldn't work...but I would. You've both got connections doubling on the other side. You could put the word out and -"

"Forget it, Jaime," Oscar snapped, a little too firmly. Jaime raised her eyebrows at him; this was exactly the sort of reaction she'd been afraid of. "Like Steve said, they don't care if they take you alive...or dead." Oscar couldn't bear even the thought of what those men had intended to do to her, but the look Jaime gave him accused him (wordlessly, of course) with losing his objectivity. He wondered to himself if she was right. But would he have felt this way a few weeks or months ago – or would he have sent her straight into harm's way to bring down the gang of criminals?

"Then what are you suggesting?" Jaime asked. "Because I don't think we have any other options...if we're gonna catch these guys!"

Oscar thought for a moment. "I doubt that they'd come this far and leave without at least trying to get what – or who – they came for. And with Harris in custody, they're most liable to be thinking that now they can take you for free. We don't need you – or anyone else – as bait, Babe. My best bet is that you're already in their sights, probably even as we speak."

"You think they're in this building right now?" Steve asked. He hadn't considered the possibility.

"I'd say it's likely they're very close," Oscar concluded, "waiting for the opportunity to strike."

"So she could walk out of here – and they'd shoot her?"

"No," Oscar explained, "they aren't stupid. In a public setting, like a restaurant or our fountain out front, they would be much more subtle. If they caught up to her alone, in public, they'd be more likely to just grab her -"

"And do the dirty work in private," Steve concluded. He glanced over at Jaime, who suddenly looked like she was about to pass out. "Sorry, Sweetheart."

Oscar came out from behind his desk and placed a comforting hand on Jaime's shoulder. "We won't let that happen," he promised. "We can get a plain-clothes team together – including you, Steve, since they don't know you – and have them surround the fountain. Then we'll send Jaime out there to sit and look like she might be daydreaming."

"Isn't that awfully risky?" Steve asked.

"Not as risky as doing nothing," Jaime said very quietly. "At least this way, we'd be ready for them." She looked up at Oscar, trying not to appear as terrified as she felt. "Let's do it."

* * *

An hour later, everyone was in place. Six plain-clothed Penguins surrounded the small plaza from every angle, with Steve sitting directly opposite the bench Jaime would be taking. He appeared to be reading a newspaper while his eyes were really scanning the people on the sidewalk, the rooftops and across the street. With Oscar watching from a second-story office window, Jaime walked out of the main entrance and headed for the fountain.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Oscar had prepared well. In addition to the team immediately surrounding the fountain, he had men positioned across the street outside the NSB building, several more in the lobby at OSI and a team waiting in cars parked nearby in case a chase should prove necessary. Jaime knew all of this as she pushed open the big double doors to step outside and she tried her best to look relaxed and unaware, instead of revealing the sheer terror that was gnawing at her every nerve. She paused just outside of the entrance, pretending to freshen her lipstick as she made herself as visible as possible.

Steve saw her out of the corner of his eye and noticed that she was trembling just a little bit. Although most people would never have caught it, he knew Jaime well enough to spot the fear in her eyes. Quickly, he looked away and as his eyes scanned upward, he saw it: the long, evil-looking gun barrel barely poking over the rooftop of OSI Headquarters. "Gun," he said very quietly into his hidden microphone. "On the roof at OSI." At the very same moment he was giving the warning, he dove toward Jaime, pushing her to the ground just in front of the fountain and covering her with his body as the first shot rang out.

Instantly, more than a dozen Penguins sprang into action. The OSI's elevators were locked and the stairwells guarded as agents hurried up to the roof. Oscar turned from his window and ran down to the lobby, where he was stopped by a guard who refused to allow him out into the gunfire.

Another shot hit the pavement, nicking it just beside where Steve and Jaime were lying and throwing cement debris into their faces. There were more shots in rapid succession – coming from two directions! - then a firm, purposeful flurry of activity. Jaime could hear the heavy sound of booted footfalls and men being taken down to the ground and then..._**silence**_.

For Jaime, there was too much silence. She could feel Steve breathing, but he was dead weight on top of her now. Carefully, she eased herself out from under him, unsure if she should roll him onto his back or leave him as he'd fallen. She looked up, desperately searching for help and saw Oscar rushing toward her. Once the gunfire had ceased, it would've taken an army of guards to keep him away.

"Oscar, call an ambulance – and get Rudy – Steve's been hit!" Jaime cried.

Oscar relayed the information with his telecom as he knelt beside Jaime and their fallen friend. He looked Steve over and decided moving him was better left to the medical professionals. One bullet had struck his right wrist, blowing off a portion of his hand and the exposed wires crackled and sizzled dangerously. He'd taken a second hit to his leg; that one didn't look as bad but had still done considerable damage. What concerned Oscar the most – and horrified Jaime – was the awful-looking wound in his back. Oscar took off his jacket, folded it and placed it under Steve's head. He got back on the telecom to demand that the ambulance _hurry_, then gathered a sobbing Jaime into his arms.

"You're bleeding," he noted quietly. He took the handkerchief from his pocket and tenderly dabbed the blood from Jaime's face.

"Some...debris, I think," she told him (her teeth chattering). "I'm...okay..."

"We'll let a doctor decide that," Oscar said firmly.

They both smelled smoke at the same time, and Jaime dove toward Steve, patting out the tiny flame that had just smoldered to life at the edge of his sleeve. Oscar pulled her back the instant the potential fire was extinguished. "Those wires are live...and hot." He wrapped both of his arms around Jaime, to comfort her and to keep her still. Her teeth were chattering violently and she was very pale, frighteningly so, and it didn't seem to Oscar like she was entirely 'there'.

Finally, they heard the wail of the ambulance drawing closer. As if in response, Steve groaned. His body shuddered...and then he was still.


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

"I didn't think they'd shoot..." Oscar said in a near-whisper. He held Jaime close as they watched the paramedics load Steve onto the ambulance. Rudy came sailing out of the building just as the ambulance doors were about to close. He took one look at Jaime, then glanced gravely at Oscar.

"Call a second ambulance. I don't think she should be in _this one_, but I want her looked at," the doctor requested.

Oscar nodded. "It's already on the way."

Rudy turned, climbed in next to Steve and began to work on him immediately. Oscar eased Jaime toward a bench and helped her to sit down, enfolding her in his arms (and not giving a damn who saw it).

"Is he..._alive...?_" she asked weakly, a quiver in her words.

"I don't know, but if anyone can help him, Rudy can."

"We...we have to call Jenn..." Once again, Jaime broke down into silent tears.

"It's been taken care of. Russ called her, and she's meeting the ambulance at the hospital." Oscar was even more worried now. Jaime had been standing right beside him when he'd given that task to Russ. He was wondering if maybe she should be lying flat out on the bench when the second ambulance pulled up. Oscar motioned to the medics, but Jaime rose to her feet.

"I can walk...I think..." she said, right before her knees buckled. Bionic or not, they couldn't support her when she was out cold.

* * *

Oscar sat, forlorn, alone and wracked with guilt, in a chair outside the ER, with his head back against the wall. Rudy had taken Steve directly into surgery – which was a promising sign because it meant he was still alive. Knowing that Steve's surgery was likely to take many hours, Oscar had moved his vigil from outside the operating room to a small waiting room outside the ER.

Why had there been no news yet about Jaime? The wait was torturous for Oscar, especially so because in his mind, this entire ordeal was solely his doing...his fault. He'd learned early in his career that second-guessing his own decisions would only eat him alive...and that was exactly what was happening. He'd done what he thought was best (after a very careful, educated guess) and it had led to _this_.

"Mr. Goldman?" A young doctor he'd never seen before pulled him out of his dungeon-of-the-mind.

"Yes?"

"I'm Frank Oslo, the doctor treating Miss Sommers."

Oscar was on his feet now. "How is she?"

"We've taken care of her facial lacerations – they were fairly minor although one just missed her eye – and we're currently treating her for shock."

"But she's...alright?"

"She will be. We'll be moving her upstairs because I need to watch her overnight, but she should hopefully be able to go home tomorrow."

"Thank you," Oscar said with a heavy sigh of relief. "Can I see her now?"

"The nurse will find you as soon as we get her settled. It shouldn't be too long." He shook Oscar's proffered hand and disappeared into the ER.

Oscar sank back into the chair and ran a weary hand through his hair then he got back up, intending to check for any news about Steve, but Jenn found him first.

Her face was tear-stained and drawn. Oscar's heart broke for what she must be going through. "He's out of surgery," she announced, before Oscar could ask.

"Already?"

"They stopped the bleeding, but Rudy doesn't think Steve can take more than that right now. They need to stabilize him first. Maybe later tonight or tomorrow, they can really operate." She choked back a sob before continuing. "Rudy said that when they were in the ambulance, he didn't think Steve would make it...but he did. He's alive."

Oscar clasped her hands tightly. "That means he's a fighter – and he's in the best possible hands. He'll be alright; I know it."

* * *

When the nurse took Oscar up to Jaime's room, she was already asleep. "She's been sedated," the nurse explained. "Doctor wants her to rest, but you can sit with her if you'd like."

Oscar had been standing by the window for hours, searching his soul for redemption from evils he truly hadn't committed, when Rudy found him. "Steve is stable now," Rudy told him. "We'll be taking him back to surgery shortly, to treat the physical wound. The bionics can wait, for now." The doctor reached out to pat his friend's shoulder. "It didn't look good there at first, but I can fix this. Steve will be okay."


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Oscar's head and his heart were at war. He watched Jaime as she slept, and he wondered if it would be better for her if he simply walked away quietly. She looked so vulnerable lying there, scratches on her porcelain-pale face and an IV in her arm. Oscar couldn't help feeling he had put her there, sent her straight into a maelstrom of danger with the assurance that everything would be okay. Jaime began tossing restlessly, in the throes of another nightmare, and Oscar sat down at her bedside, smoothing the hair from her face and wishing fervently for a chance to start this day again from the beginning.

Only...what could he have done differently? Not called Steve and Jaime into his office, perhaps? That would've enabled her would-be abductors to grab her from her home, when she was alone...and then she truly would've been gone for good. Should he have kept her in his office until she could be sent underground for safety? No – the ruthless attack in public (in broad daylight) meant they were capable of anything. They'd have likely stormed the building and hurt a lot more innocent people. Really, Oscar had made the best decision he could, under the circumstances...so why did he feel such conflict, such guilt? Because...it was _Jaime _lying in that bed. The sudden depth of his feelings for her terrified Oscar. His guilt was compounded by the fact that, at that very moment, his best friend was in the operating room fighting for his life. Rudy had told him that Steve's heart had stopped in the ambulance. What if Steve had died? Had emotions clouded Oscar's judgment to the point that he'd nearly given his friend a death sentence, in the guise of protecting Jaime?

Silent tears began streaming down Jaime's face as she continued to dream. Oscar picked up her hand and spoke softly to her, but in her deeply sedated slumber, the touch startled her even more...and failed to wake her.

"Steve...no!" Jaime murmured. "_**No!**_"

Feeling helpless, Oscar gathered her into his arms as she began to thrash wildly. He rubbed her back, whispering in her ear in an attempt to ease her from her nightmare. "You're safe now, Babe...Steve's safe...it's over. It's over and you're safe."

Gradually, he felt her begin to return the embrace. Her eyes opened and her head fell onto his shoulder as she sank gratefully into the comfort of his arms. "It's really...over?" she asked in a small voice.

"We got the two gunmen who shot at you – and three more men and a driver parked out front. It's over, Babe."

"And...Steve?"

Oscar smoothed her hair, tenderly caressing her and holding her as close as he dared. "He's in surgery, but Rudy is fairly sure he can repair the damage. Steve will make it."

"I was so scared," Jaime admitted, clinging to him.

"Babe, I am really sorry you had to go through that. I never should have let you -"

Jaime pulled back just far enough to look right into Oscar's eyes. "You made everything as safe as it could possibly be, Oscar! If you hadn't done what you did, I'd be in a hundred little pieces all over some dirty makeshift lab by now!"

Oscar looked at her, trying so hard to make him feel better in the midst of her own trauma, and he knew that he couldn't possibly leave her. "I have made one decision tonight," he told her solemnly. "I don't think I can be your boss for very much longer."

"Oscar – no! You can't _think _of retiring...please..."

Oscar quieted her with a soft kiss, and then he smiled. "Of course I can't retire. No one else would _want _this job! But...I don't think I can supervise your work any more."

"You're firing me? I didn't do that badly today...did I?"

"Of course not. We'll have to figure something out though, in terms of your assignments, because I have lost the ability – and the urge – to be objective where you're concerned." Oscar took a deep breath. He couldn't _not _say it. It was time. "Jaime...I'm falling in love with you."

Jaime didn't have time to answer before Rudy pushed the door open and stepped inside. His face was weary and drawn, but were the worry lines exhaustion...or something more ominous?


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

"I didn't expect to find you awake," Rudy told Jaime, immediately moving to examine her.

Oscar stopped him with a firm hand on his arm. "She's being well taken care of. And you look exhausted."

"I passed exhausted a few hours ago," Rudy confirmed, pulling up a chair.

"How's Steve?" Jaime asked quietly.

"The bullet missed his spine, but it lodged in his kidney," the doctor explained. "He lost about half of it, but his system should make up for that without a problem." Rudy sighed, then went on. "It's his arm I'm worried about. I didn't want to keep him under long enough to try repairing it now, but I did take a look. It seems the wires shorted out all the way up his arm. The nerve damage in his shoulder is extensive. I don't know if he'll be able to regain use of his right arm, even after it's repaired."

Jaime closed her eyes for a moment, horrified. "Can you re-stimulate the nerves, like you did with my legs?"

"I'm not sure. The damage may be too severe. We'll explore those options more when he gets a little stronger. He'll sleep straight through until probably lunchtime tomorrow. Jenn is with him. Now, as for you, Young Lady..." Rudy didn't need a trained eye to pick up on the fact that something had changed between Jaime and Oscar. Oscar was seated on the edge of her bed, one arm still around her waist and holding her hand with the other. Rudy had to smile – then remembered his bedside manner. "I believe you're supposed to be asleep yourself."

"I...had a bad dream," Jaime explained.

"I'll get you another dose of the sedative," Rudy offered.

Jaime started to protest, but Oscar prevailed. "I think that's a good idea. She needs to rest." When Rudy left to prepare the shot, Oscar kissed Jaime once more and moved over into a chair. "I know you're afraid of having more dreams," he said gently, "but I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere."

"Thank you. And Oscar...?" Jaime said shyly, "what you said before? Me too..."

* * *

True to his word, Oscar spent the night beside Jaime's bed, dozing briefly at times but mostly watching her sleep. In the morning, one of the doctors had thoughtfully ordered a second breakfast tray so they could eat together.

"They're signing your discharge papers now," Oscar told her. "In a little while, I can take you home."

"Home..." Jaime sighed. "That's a beautiful word. But...I wanna see Steve before I go, okay? And Jenn, too."

"Of course."

They found Rudy in Steve's room, already hard at work, tending to his still-sleeping patient. Jaime hugged Jenn tightly, wishing she had the right words to say. "I'm so sorry," was all she could manage past the lump in her throat.

"It's not your fault," Jenn asserted. "Or Oscar's, either. I know it comes with the territory. Rudy says he'll make it, so that's what's really important."

"I'm so glad," Jaime agreed. "Rudy's a miracle worker – and he's an even better scientist than he is a doctor, so I'm sure he'll have Steve's arm working again in no time."

"I know. But if not, I'm just happy he made it through. Because do I ever have a surprise for him when he wakes up..."

Jenn didn't have to wait long to hear her husband's voice. Before she could tell Jaime anything else, Steve began to groan in his sleep and very soon his eyes snapped open. His head tossed restlessly on the pillow and he uttered just one single word:

"_**...Jaime...**_"


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

"..._**Jaime**_..."

Both women gasped and Jenn (motioned forward by Rudy) stepped up to the bed. "Steve...Baby, it's me." She leaned down to give him a very careful kiss.

"Jenn," Steve murmured. "Where...where's...Jaime?"

"Well, she's right here, Steve, but -"

"Need...to see...Jaime."

Not exactly sure what to think, Jenn stepped to the side and shrugged to her friend. Cautiously, Jaime approached Steve. His eyes were closed.

"Steve..?" Jaime whispered.

"Are you...okay?" Steve asked with great effort, not quite opening his eyes.

"I'm fine, Steve – and I owe you my life. Again." Jaime said softly. "But Jenn has been waiting here all this time for you to wake up...maybe she should -"

Steve was already asleep.

- - -

Oscar drove Jaime home, and Jaime immediately recognized the plain clothed Penguin standing at the building's entrance. "Oh, Oscar – _really_?" she sighed.

"There's another one outside your door," Oscar admitted, bracing for her reaction.

"Didn't you say you got them all?"

"Well, yes, but I wanted to be on the safe side. I don't want anything to happen to you. There were guards at the hospital, too."

"Oscar! Would you have done all of this...um..._before_?" Jaime demanded (touched nonetheless). "Or...for a different agent?"

"I take excellent care of _all_ of my operatives!" he insisted, feigning indignation. He opened the passenger door for her, drawing her into his arms as he helped her from the car. "And I intend to take especially good care of you," he said with a kiss for emphasis.

"But really, Oscar – _Penguins_? I mean, I can take care of myself – you know that – and I don't think I need them to -"

"They brought lunch, so you wouldn't have to cook on your first day home."

Jaime grinned. "I can live with penguins for a little while."

- - -

Over lunch, Jaime and Oscar found themselves eying each other with a new seriousness that comes along with the first expressions of those three little words. Oddly, they both had one thing on their minds...and it wasn't each other.

"Poor Jenn," Jaime sighed. "I mean, Steve was just waking up and he wasn't sure what had happened...but still..."

"Jaime, can I ask you something?"

"Fire when ready."

"Do you...have feelings for Steve?" Oscar blurted out. He had to know.

"Steve is _married._"

"Forget about that, just for a minute, and what does your heart say?"

Jaime paused, as though thinking it over, then beamed at Oscar. "It says...that I love _you_, Oscar Goldman."

"And I heartily approve of that."

"Well, now that I'm hale and hardy -"

"_Almost_ hale and hardy," Oscar had to add.

"Okay...almost," Jaime agreed, "so let's get to the heart of the matter."

"The heart of the matter...would be that I love you, too."

- - -

"Jenn..." Steve began painfully. "I'm so glad you're here. Was worried...I'd never see you again..."

It was the first time he'd opened his eyes since calling Jaime's name earlier, and Jenn reached over to press the call button, then gently took her husband's hand. As much as she wanted to hold him close, she was terrified of causing him any more pain. "Rudy's on his way," she assured him. "Believe it or not, you look so much better than you did this morning." Jenn realized by looking at Steve now that he probably hadn't been fully conscious when he'd called out for Jaime. It had stung at the time, but she told herself that his mind was likely still absorbing the aftermath of the shooting – so naturally he'd be wondering if Jaime was okay. It didn't mean anything else but that...did it?

- - -

Oscar stayed with Jaime through dinnertime. It was amazing how clear-able his schedule could be when it really mattered. After sharing a lovely roasted chicken with vegetables (delivered by the incoming night shift of Penguins), he could see that Jaime's eyelids were quickly growing heavy. "Why don't you let me tuck you into bed early, so you can get some extra rest? I'll see myself out."

Jaime changed into a light, floral-patterned flannel nightgown and matching robe, and Oscar fluffed her pillow, removed her slippers, tenderly tucked the blankets around her and kissed her goodnight before tiptoeing out the door. The penguin keeping watch out in the hallway and the one at the building's entrance both tactfully pretended not to notice.

- - - - -


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Oscar stole away from the office early the next afternoon, but Jaime wasn't in her apartment. The guards had been instructed not to leave their posts because it had been expected that Jaime would be staying home recuperating. As a result, they had no idea where she might have gone.

"She said she'd be back in an hour or two," one of the Penguins told Oscar.

Maybe it was a medical issue; Oscar's next move was to call Rudy. "I haven't seen Jaime today," Rudy said anxiously. "And I told her to rest for at least 48 hours, so when she comes back, make sure and have her call me."

Oscar doubted that Jaime had gone off on a spur-of-the-moment shopping spree. She had a lot on her mind that she needed to sort through, and after confirming that she hadn't shown up at his office, Oscar followed his instincts and headed for the closest bank of the river. His anxious pace slowed when he spotted her. Jaime was sitting right at the water's edge (where he knew she would be), knees drawn up to her chest, staring out at the rippling water. He didn't know whether to hold her tightly in comfort...or throttle her for disobeying Rudy. She didn't seem to hear him approach.

"Feel like some company?" he asked gently. When Jaime lifted her head, he could see that she was crying. "Jaime...?" He sank down next to her on the shore line and tenderly wrapped her in his arms.

"Your suit...it's gonna get muddy -"

"It's dry-cleanable," he said firmly.

"I don't think I'm very good company right now, Oscar," she whispered, still staring at the water.

"You can talk to me about anything, you know," he reminded her. "I'm not _Mr. Goldman _anymore – at least, not to you."

"I know..."

"What is it, Babe? Did I do something that upset you?"

"Of course not..." Jaime allowed herself to lean into him, just a little. His arms felt so comfortable.

"Is it what happened with Steve?" Oscar probed.

"No. Well...maybe. Steve...and Michael and...I'm just so confused!" She looked at Oscar with tears still streaming down her face. "Every time I let myself care about someone, something terrible happens! And – and I'm scared."

"Of...?"

"I don't know."

"Jaime, if we're going too fast and that frightens you, we can slow things down or even take a break if -"

"No! No...that's not it. _I love you,_and I love where we're at right now. But...what if I'm jinxed or something?"

"I doubt that," Oscar said, kissing her cheek and trying to brush away her tears. "But something terrible IS going to happen if I don't get you back home. Rudy will have both of our heads on a platter."

"Oh...um...I'm sorry about that."

"I understand, Babe. Let's just hope Rudy does." Somehow, Oscar had the feeling Rudy would be like a gruff but loving father, reading her a small portion of the riot act but ultimately understanding completely.

* * *

"We need to make a decision about your arm," Jenn reminded Steve.

"What's the hurry?" he snapped. "Not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon."

"Someone's sure got the grumpies today," Jenn said as lightly as she could manage. "I think you'll feel a whole lot better once this isn't weighing on you anymore. Rudy said he can fix your hand – your whole arm – as good as new."

"If I let him take a part of my shoulder."

"Would you rather have a dead arm?" Steve didn't answer. "It wouldn't be a loss, Steve – look at it as a gain. A _win_."

Finally, Steve smiled, reaching his hand out for his wife. "How did I get so lucky, to have you? Besides, it's not like he wants to remove anything _vital_."

"You'll still have full use of all your vital organs," Jenn chuckled. Some things never changed.

* * *

Once again, Oscar tucked Jaime into bed, intending to bring her dinner on a tray, but when he returned with the food, she was sound asleep. As he sat quietly, just watching her, he was happy to note that this time, in her sleep, Jaime was smiling.


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"Where's Jaime?" Oscar demanded, striding into Russ's office without knocking.

Russ barely looked up; he'd been expecting this. "She's working. She left in the middle of the night, so -"

"You should've called me."

Russ closed the file he'd been reviewing...and sighed. "Why? To ask your permission to do the job _you_ gave me? Oscar, Jaime is fully recovered and able to work – she _wants _to work – and with Steve still adjusting to his latest surgery, we needed her!"

Oscar paled. "Please tell me you didn't send her to Berlin," he said softly, noticing the heading on the file Russ was holding.

"Alright. I won't tell you." A top East German scientist, wishing to defect, had disappeared before he could reach the embassy in Berlin. Intel had been unable to establish if he'd been stopped by his own people, by the West Germans...or by someone else entirely. Accusations were flying everywhere and the situation had the potential to become ugly – and extremely dangerous.

"Dammit," Oscar cursed, shaking his head. "Of course you did."

"I'll keep you posted."

* * *

"Okay, Steve," Rudy instructed, "now bring your arm up over your head. Good. How does that feel – any pain?"

"Feels great, Doc," Steve confirmed. Rudy handed him a five-pound weight. "Oh, c'mon – at least make it challenging!"

"Baby steps," the doctor insisted. "Let's not rush all of those new connections. Remember how long it took you to learn to walk on those legs? Patience, my friend."

"Yeah, yeah..." Steve said, lifting the weight easily and holding it over his head. "So when can I go home?"

"Easy there, Slugger," Rudy said, laughing. "Your wounds may be healing nicely, but there may still be adjustments needed on that arm and shoulder. One day at a time, alright?"

"My wife misses me."

"She's been here every day."

"That's not what I mean."

"And that's exactly what I mean – we'll send you home when you're fully capable of _everything_. Work _and _play."

Steve grinned. "Pass me another weight, would ya?"

* * *

Two days went by without so much as one communique from Berlin...or from Jaime. Oscar had started wearing a path in the carpet from his office down to Russ's but when news finally came, Russ reluctantly made his way up to Oscar's office to deliver it.

"Our scientist just arrived safely in Virginia," he announced. "They're moving him to the safe house as we speak."

"Wonderful!" Oscar affirmed. "Then Jaime will be back soon?" He noticed the look on Russ's face. Russ was _not _smiling. "Russ...?"

"Jaime wasn't on the plane. We don't know where she is. The embassy says they never even saw her – and yet she's the one who got our scientist to the plane. Why she didn't board...I just don't know. Our sources are giving me nothing but silence. I'm trying to get Rudy to release Steve so he can go after her, but -"

"Steve's still in the hospital."

"He's been recovering faster than they'd expected, but Rudy said he's not at a hundred percent yet," Russ explained. "He said it'd be at least a couple more days."

"Jaime might not have a couple more days!" Oscar insisted. "Get a transport plane ready. I'll talk to Rudy. And have Callahan clear my schedule. Rudy will okay this...if I'm going, too."

"Oscar, you can't! We have no idea what's going on over there. Until we do -"

"There's no time to debate. I'll be back in an hour – with Steve."

Less than 45 minutes later, with absolutely no Intel to guide them, Steve and Oscar were on a transport plane bound for Berlin.


	30. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Steve couldn't seem to stop thinking. The trouble with that was that he was doing it out loud...and Oscar was already worried enough. "We'll start at the Embassy, of course," Steve rambled. "But we have to consider the possibility that they may have already taken her across the Iron Curtain – to East Berlin or even further – in which case..."

"First, we have to find out who 'they' are," Oscar pointed out. "If anyone is holding her at all."

"Of course she's being held!"

"Jaime may have stayed behind for other reasons, Pal -"

"Without contacting you – or anyone?" Steve grimaced as he shifted in his seat.

"You have time to take another pain pill," Oscar told him.

Steve shook his head. "I'm alright. Besides, I need to be sharp."

"You need to let me handle most of this one, Pal," Oscar insisted. "You're here because your eye may prove useful but more than that, because you know how Jaime's mind works. That might give us our best chance at finding her." He handed Steve a gun.

"No way, Oscar. Forget it."

"If there IS trouble, I don't want you fighting your way out – because right now, you can't. Your arm isn't up to its full strength and -"

"But my legs are fine."

"Maybe so, but your back can't support a bionic kick. You might need this. Take it."

Reluctantly, Steve tucked it inside his jacket and settled back to try and absorb the scant bits of information (mainly photos) that they had managed to gather.

* * *

"We need to see the Ambassador," Oscar requested, presenting their credentials to the stern-looking young man seated at a desk near the front door of the Embassy.

"I'm afraid that is not to be possible," the man said in broken English, without looking up.

"Why not?" Steve demanded.

"He is being out of the city. One week. Maybe more."

Oscar removed a photo of Jaime from his briefcase and waited until the man had looked at it. "Have you seen this woman?" he asked.

"Is very pretty."

"Have you seen her?" Steve repeated, bristling at the way the man was leering at Jaime's picture.

"No. And I would remember such beauty. I am sorry."

"Is there someone else we can talk to?" Steve asked, striving for patience.

"She would have passed this desk had she entered here," the man insisted. "If I did not see her, she was not here." Stubbornly, he went back to his reading.

"Let's go," Steve suggested.

"Do you believe him?" Oscar asked when they reached the sidewalk.

"Hell, no. But those hallways are gated and I doubt you'd let me -"

"You're right; I wouldn't," Oscar confirmed. "But I don't believe him, either. She was there – she _had _to be!"

They walked halfway down the block and Steve turned back toward the Embassy, sighing in frustration. Suddenly, he froze. The photos he'd studied on the plane flashing through his head. "Looks like our friend, the Ambassador, got back sooner than expected," he grumbled, focusing on a single window high up on the far end of the building. "What the -?"

"What is it?" Oscar demanded. "Can you see Jaime?"

"No, but now I _know _she's in trouble. The Ambassador is talking to Jorg Wassenberg. Our so-called scientist."

"That's impossible! He's at a safe house in Virginia!"

"I don't know who Jaime put on that plane, but the man in the file you gave me is standing in that office...and he's smiling."


	31. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

"I have to get up there," Steve announced, already starting back toward the Embassy.

"And how do you propose to do that?" Oscar pointed out.

Steve shrugged. "It's only three stories."

"Forget it, Pal. Your back couldn't support a jump over the fence, much less three stories straight up. Besides, we can't just go storming in there – either one of us – or we're looking at a possible international incident."

"But the Ambassador himself is crooked!" Steve argued.

"Maybe so. But there's a better way to handle this."

"What? Stand here and hope they walk out to surrender and tell us everything? Oscar, I'm going in."

"No," Oscar said flatly. "We can't go in, but Interpol can." He began heading for the nearest hotel, to find a phone, but Steve stood firmly in place. "You're coming with me," Oscar told him.

"Wrong."

"Excuse me?"

"Okay, you're right – I can't jump up there. But I _can _stay here and make sure they don't go anywhere before you get back."

Oscar eyed him carefully. "You'll watch from _this _side of the fence?"

"Huh? Yeah...of course."

Thankfully, the hotel was just up the block from the Embassy. Oscar could see Steve (still standing there) until he went inside the hotel lobby. His call was a quick one, to Russ.

"Oscar, we've got problems," Russ said by way of a greeting.

"You've got an impostor in Virginia," Oscar said flatly.

"We've got an impostor...how did you know?"

"The scientist is here, at the Berlin Embassy. I need you to alert Interpol, get them here code Snow White. According to Steve, our Mr. Wassenberg looks very chummy with the Ambassador."

"Have you found Jaime?" Russ asked.

"No." Oscar stretched his neck far enough to peer out the window. Steve was gone. "Russ, call Interpol NOW!" he ordered, slamming down the phone and practically flying out the door and down the street.

Looking through the fence from as close to the building as he could get without attracting attention, Oscar finally found Steve around the back, leaning against a wall of the Embassy, hiding between two tall shrubs as he gasped for breath.

"You...were right," Steve admitted in a stage whisper. "I won't make it up three stories." Steve turned, stepping out of the shrubs just far enough to glance up at the building. Oscar saw him do a double-take and looked up himself to find the source of Steve's shock. Barely perched on a tiny ledge between two semi-decorative outcroppings (and trying to make herself as small and inconspicuous as possible) was..._Jaime_. Steve tried to silently get her attention, but she seemed focused intently on (a)not falling and (b)listening to the Ambassador and the scientist.

Steve was afraid to call out or even whisper to her, because her footing was so precarious. It was impossible to tell if she was actually listening and gathering evidence – or hiding from potential harm. If she hadn't heard him with Oscar, any sudden movement or louder noise could quite possibly startle her...with disastrous results. And if she was under some sort of threat of attack, he dreaded the thought of alerting them to her presence.

Oscar was thinking exactly the same thing, and motioned frantically to Steve to stay (quietly) where he was. Oscar found it difficult to breathe, seeing Jaime on a ledge barely wide enough for her to stand on tiptoes. While he didn't have Steve's viewing clarity, it was obvious she was barely holding on. "Jaime..." he said, in the softest tone possible. She didn't turn around – probably because she couldn't.

The arrival of Interpol settled things for everyone. Jaime heard the approaching sirens, her head turned quickly...and she began to fall.


	32. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One

The moment seemed suspended eternally. Steve (and Oscar) had never felt so helpless. Jaime teetered, swayed and at the last possible instant managed a tenuous hold on the ledge with the tips of her right fingers. That split second was all Steve needed. Not caring who saw him or how it might look, he bent the bars of the fence to enable Oscar to step through.

"I'll get her," Steve said urgently. "Just back me up, okay?"

"We'll _both _catch her," Oscar insisted. While Steve's legs and arm were strong, Oscar doubted his friend's back would hold up under the strain. "We're here, Babe," he called up to her. Jaime glanced down, finally noticing them (and very nearly losing her grip). There was no way she could pull herself back up; she would have to come down. If she'd been facing outward and could visualize the jump, she'd have stood an excellent chance of coming down by herself without harm...but she'd be falling backwards, blindly. "We've got you," Oscar told her. "Let go now."

Jaime continued to hang on, seemingly frozen with fear. Steve saw the window above her open and the barrel of a gun point outward, searching for a target, before Jaime did. "Jaime, _DROP NOW_!" he yelled. Startled, her fingers released their hold. Both men extended their arms to break her fall, easing her gently onto the grass and then pulling her up close against the building, out of sight of her attacker. Within minutes, before any of them had fully caught their breath, Interpol had swarmed the building and there was silence.

Jaime leaned gratefully into Oscar's embrace – and they both turned to Steve. "Are you alright?" she asked him.

"What? Yeah. I'm fine."

"You shouldn't be here – either of you!" she admonished.

"Surprise..." Steve said, wincing when he chuckled.

"The Ambassador -" Jaime began.

"He set you up," Oscar confirmed. "We know. Let's find the Commander so you can give a statement – then we can all go home."

* * *

There were three Interpol Commanders on the premises, and Jaime, Steve and Oscar were escorted past the first hallway gate into a small waiting area while the one who spoke the most fluent English was summoned. Oscar held Jaime's hand to give her reassurance and Steve managed to surreptitiously swallow a pain pill without letting her see it.

The Commander showed the trio his badge and escorted Jaime into an office across the hall. She explained how she'd been sent to West Germany to escort the defecting East German scientist. "I came here, to the Embassy," she asserted, "and met him in the Ambassador's office. I took him to the airstrip, he got on the plane and I was just about to follow, but..." Jaime hesitated. How could she explain to this man that she'd overheard a conversation aboard the airplane while she was still standing on the tarmac?

"Did someone prevent you from boarding?" the Commander prompted.

"Not exactly. I...um...I heard the scientist – well, I _thought _he was the scientist – tell someone that as soon as the plane took off, he would shoot me. So I pushed the plane's door closed and I ran. I knew they wouldn't shoot at me out the windows – not if they wanted to take off."

"Very intelligent choice."

"Thank you. Then I came back here, to the Embassy, to tell the Ambassador what had happened – and the cretin at the front desk wouldn't let me inside."

"Cretin?"

"Never mind. Anyhow," Jaime continued, not at all sure how to tell the next portion, "I...um...went around the back and climbed up to the ledge outside the office window."

"You _climbed? _How did you do this?"

"I took a lot of gymnastics in high school. Anyway, I heard the Ambassador talking to a man who said once his brother was out of the way in America, the formulas could be sold to the highest bidder and no one would ever be the wiser for it. He said the brother had always wanted to live and work in America and that he could fake the knowledge long enough that he wouldn't be suspected. And once he was fully accepted in our country, he was to start relaying information back which would also be sold – to the East Germans or whoever was willing to pay the most money."

"This is a most incredible story," the Commander told her. "Would be impossible to believe if we didn't have Mr. Wassenberg in custody."

"And the Ambassador?"

"He will be questioned. That will be difficult to prove, but if Mr. Wassenberg's story matches what you have told me, then -"

"Great. Well, this is one very tired American who would like to go home."

Within the hour, happily nestled in Oscar's arms and with Steve buckled into the seat across from them, Jaime did exactly that.


	33. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

Back in Washington, a crowd of people awaited the arrival of one small transport plane – although not all of them were at the airstrip. Out of all of them, Jenn was probably the most anxious. Steve had left so abruptly that she hadn't even been able to say goodbye. While she'd grown used to the sudden departures that came with her husband's line of work, this time he'd been snatched out of his hospital bed...and she still waited for the right moment to deliver the news she'd been aching to tell him. First, he'd been too badly injured. Then he'd been too grumpy and then...he was gone. Had he injured himself further while he was overseas? Jenn didn't know if she wanted to throttle him – or hug him and never let go.

Rudy wasn't sure if, when the plane landed, he'd be faced with one injured patient – or two. Russ had very little info to pass along, other than the fact that Oscar and Steve were returning...with Jaime. The doctor cursed quietly to himself for allowing Steve to travel – and to take part in such a potentially dangerous assignment – when he had not yet been released from the hospital. Still, if Jaime was safe and Steve was alright...Rudy simply wasn't sure what to think.

The Secretary of State had met that morning with the Secretary of Defense, discussing the meeting they intended to have with Oscar and Russ just as soon as it was feasible. They wanted to hear the precise reasons that the supervision of Jaime Sommers had been turned over from Oscar to Russ – and what sort of judgment was used in sending her into what amounted to a deathtrap. If that weren't bad enough, Oscar had then torn Steve Austin from his hospital bed and dragged him to Europe as well. Perhaps the entire Bionic Project would be better placed under different supervision. The Secretaries needed – and fully intended to get – _answers._

Aboard the transport plane, the only one with the slightest inkling of this turmoil was Oscar. When he'd phoned Russ back to let him know they were on their way home, Russ had mentioned the meeting between the Secretaries – and Oscar knew this could never be a good sign. They weren't intending to hand out medals for a job well done.

At this moment, though, with Jaime nestled cozily next to him, Oscar felt something close to bliss. It could have been a fiasco – a tragedy all around – but Steve appeared none the worse for the experience. After a second pain pill, he was dozing comfortably in the seat across from them. Oscar pulled Jaime a little closer...and kissed her. "I'm so glad you're alright," he said softly. "_Both _of you," he added, glancing over at Steve.

"You really shouldn't have come," Jaime told him, "but I don't think I've ever been happier to see someone in my life."

"I aim to please. When we heard you were missing, the only thing I _could _do was get on a plane and -"

"And wing it?" Jaime chuckled.

"Flying by the seat of my pants," Oscar agreed.

"You must've really been up in the air about that one."

"Well, now my head is in the clouds." They both laughed – and Oscar kissed her again.

Jaime smiled. Suddenly, she couldn't wait for Summer.

END


End file.
